The Love Potion
by TheseFourWords
Summary: What happens when Naruto gets doused with the most powerful love potion in the world and has all the women of Konoha fall in love with him? Hinata tries to hide him, but will their feelings bring them together or tear them apart? NaruHina, 5-shot series, COMPLETE
1. Chapter 1

_Okay, so I __know__ I should be working on my other NaruHina story but I had to make this little 5-shot series. ^_^ Now that the holidays are over and I'm settling into a new routine at school, I'm kind of not feeling my Song of the Heart story after not writing it for so long. I'm not good at sticking with a story for in indefinite period of time, figuring things out along the way, so for now Song of the Heart is on hiatus until I can figure out what I want to do with it and where I want the story to go. Shorter little stories like this are more of my forte. So enjoy! Rate! Favorite!_

_And yes, the potion is based of the Amortentia potion in Harry Potter. ;b_

_Disclaimer: I am not Masashi Kisimoto and do not own Naruto._

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><p>Naruto Uzumaki is known for saving the world.<p>

He is known as the Orange Flash of Konoha, successor of the sannin Jiraiya, soon-to-be successor of the Fifth Hokage Tsunade, and son of the Fourth Hokage Minato. He is known for his bright blonde hair, wide grin, and dazzling blue eyes. He is known for valuing his precious people and village over all else, for his compassion and determination, and for gaining friends wherever he goes.

Naruto Uzumaki is _not_ known for the regulation of his curiosity, following instructions, and keeping his nose out of things that are not his business.

And so, on that bright Tuesday afternoon that he would later recall as one of the best days in his life, he found himself snooping through Tsunade's top secret medical room. A room in which he was expressly _forbidden_ to enter by said Hokage. So, of course, he made it a point to completely ignore her order and enter anyway.

He marveled at the room before him, gazing at shelves stacked high with bottles of various sizes and colors, and herbs and flowers overgrowing the pots in which they were planted. Sunlight streaked in through the lone window, blanketing the room in a soft light, and he closed the door ever so softly behind him so as to conceal his presence in the room.

_Of course the old hag would ban me from going to the_ one_ interesting place in the _entire_ Hokage Building_, he mused, the smirk ever present on his face reflecting the deep satisfaction he felt at disobeying her direct order. He ran his fingers along the bottles on the shelves lightly as he read the legible labels.

"Truth Serum, Crocodile heart, Strengthening Draught, Restoration Potion, Bat spleen, Snake fang: Deathly Poisonous DO NOT TOUCH…This place is awesome!" the blonde exclaimed with a wide grin on his face. Enthusiasm kindled in his stomach as he crept silently through the room, his attention captured by bottles full of liquids that bubbled and released strange gases, until he came to an abrupt stop as a medium-sized flask came into view.

It rested alone on a small wooden table, the liquid glistening in the soft light of the room while small bubbles broke up out of the silver, pearly surface. Naruto bent down, mouth hanging open in wordless wonder, and feeling the sudden urge to breathe in the aroma inhaled deeply. _Hot chocolate? No, wait–lavender? And…cinnamon rolls?_

His brow furrowed in confusion as the three scents embedded themselves in his nostrils, bringing with them an overwhelming sense of familiarity that he couldn't seem to place. He'd smelled these all of these scents many times before, but they reminded him of something or…someone? He read the scribbles on the frayed paper label.

**Poculum Amoris**

"Poculum Amoris." He repeated to himself, standing back up straight and crossing his arms. "Yeah, I have no idea what that means."

But, somehow, he _knew_ that aroma. It was familiar and for some reason very enticing to him and he found himself liking the smell of this particular potion very much indeed. He bent and inhaled again as if to burn the scent into his memory and felt a pleasant chill run down his spine. He eyed the jar greedily and was contemplating the ramifications of swiping the bottle when a familiar shout rang just outside the doorway.

"Ah shit, Granny Tsunade," he cursed under his breath and quickly turned so he could hide when his jacket hooked onto the edge of the table, knocking the vial onto the floor at his feet. His vision became obstructed by plumes of silver smoke just as the door slammed open.

"**Naruto Uzumaki**!"

"Granny Tsunade, I can explain!" he coughed out, waving his hands in front of his face to clear the smoke. He grimaced as he caught sight of the broken shards that once held the potion and felt a pang of remorse at no longer having the opportunity to steal the lonely bottle away. He braced himself for the chewing out of a lifetime, slowly raising his eyes to meet the Hokage's only to inhale sharply as he was pushed against the wall.

"G-G-G-Granny Tsunade?!" he sputtered out as he met the eyes of a smirking, very _hungry_ looking Hokage. He squeaked in surprise as she pressed her body close to his, her breasts pressed against his chest (which did not do much to aid his suddenly strained breathing).

"Naruto Uzumaki," she repeated teasingly as she ran a finger up his chest, and Naruto gulped audibly as he stared at her in mute shock. "My, my, have I mentioned how much you've grown? And how _strong_ you've gotten?"

"I– what? How strong– Granny Tsunade I just broke one of your secret bottles and you're talking about how _strong_ I've gotten?" he squirmed under her gaze, attempting to push the woman off of him. "Are you feeling okay?"

"I'm feeling great now that I'm here with you," she blinked flirtatiously at him, leaning about two feet too close for comfort and causing Naruto to simultaneously question his sanity and increase his attempts to push her away from him.

"EH?!" he exclaimed in confusion as she ran her hand up his arm and squeezed his bicep to emphasize her point.

"You always were like a little brother to me back then, but now– well, let's just say I'm not thinking along those lines anymore," she winked a teal eye at him. "Why don't you say me and you go back to my office and have a little…_talk._"

"U-um, I actually _just_ remembered that I have to be somewhere, like, right now!" he pushed the woman off of him while she attempted to inch her face closer to his own, and after forming a quick hand seal Naruto disappeared in a flicker deserving of his moniker, reappearing the next moment outside the front doors of the Hokage Building.

_What the hell just happened? She wasn't even angry at me– actually, she looked more like she wanted to… _he broke his trail of thought with a shiver, dusting off his jacket as though that would erase the memory and took off in a quick trot with the plan of getting (and _staying_) as far away as possible from the Hokage for the rest of the day. Or week. Or maybe the rest of his life. However his plans were interrupted when a voice called out his name, and the blonde turned to see a recognizable spiky ponytail.

"Aye, Shikamaru!" Naruto approached the young man with a wave as he approached the tree he was leaning under.

"Where are you running off to so fast, new mission from the Hokage?" Shikamaru asked, the name causing an uncomfortable chill to run down Naruto's spine.

"Actually, I'm trying to get away from her. I got into some…" he paused as he searched for the correct word, grimacing at the unpleasant memory. "Trouble and I thought she was going to yell at me! But she– well, she…"

"Hm?"

"She tried to _kiss_ me, Shika!" the blonde yelled wildly, clutching his friend's shoulders and shaking him for good measure. Surprise spread across Shikamaru's face for a brief moment before he merely blinked at him boredly.

"Naruto, I'm pretty sure the Hokage would never try to kiss you. It was probably just a crazy dream." Shikamaru explained calmly, nudging Naruto's hands off of his shoulders.

"But, she did! She was leaning all close to me and pushed me against the wall! And then she-"

"Eugh, I really don't feel like hearing about any of your perverted fantasies right now," he squeezed his eyes shut to block out the mental image that just popped into his head. "I'm just waiting for Ino and Chouji so we can go grab a bite to eat. There they are now, actually," he motioned with his head in the direction behind Naruto where two figures were approaching rather quickly.

"_Naaaarutoooo!_" he heard Ino squeal in a sing-song voice as she ran up to him and enveloped him in a tight hug, Chouji approaching out of breath while Shikamaru gave the girl a strange look.

"Um, hi?" Naruto asked hesitantly as he pulled the girls arms from around his neck and took a step away from her.

"Oh my gosh, I am _so_ happy to see you! I've missed you _so_ much, we _have_ to go get lunch together; it can be a date." she winked at him with a coy smile on her face and the three boys looked at her incredulously.

"Since when are you _ever_ happy to see Naruto?" Shikamaru asked with a quirked eyebrow, but she ignored him as she chattered away to a very confused Naruto, all the while stepping closer and closer to him and twirling a piece of hair around her finger.

"I don't know what happened, we were just walking and talking like normal and then…" Chouji began, drifting off as he watching Naruto try to pry Ino's arms from around his neck as he looked at his two friends helplessly.

"And then?"

"And then she saw Naruto and just went berserk! Her eyes kind of glazed over and she got this huge grin on her face and just started running at him!" Chouji exclaimed as Naruto successfully removed himself from the girl's clutches and held her at arm's length.

"Uh, that's really nice and all Ino but I thought you hated me?" Naruto questioned her and she giggled and waved a dismissive hand at him.

"Are you crazy? I don't hate you Naruto!"

"You don't?" the three boys asked in unison, each equally confused at her response.

"No! I'm in love with you!" she smiled and three jaws hit the floor.

"What?! I don't, but– huh?" Naruto managed to spit out and Ino just giggled as though she found his confusion extremely cute and continued to attempt to glomp him until a shriek rang through the air.

"Back off my man, Ino pig!"

And suddenly two masses of pink and purple hit the ground and proceeded to, very poorly, smack at each other.

"You're just jealous that he loves me Billboard Brow!"

"Is that Sakura?"

"Did she just call you 'her man'?"

"Did Sakura just call me 'her man'?"

Naruto watched deeply confounded as Shikamaru and Chouji pulled the two girls apart while they sent each other death glares that would put Sasuke's to shame.

"I'm sorry about that Naruto-_kun_," Sakura pushed Shikamaru off of her and approached him with a playful pout on her face. "Ino _obviously_ doesn't know that you're all mine."

"Uuuh, what are you talking abo–" Naruto began but was cut off when two hands pulled his head forward and a pair of lips smashed against his, kissing him roughly while he stood there stunned with wide eyes until Sakura pulled away. He lifted his hand to his lips, staring at the girl in utter disbelief while Shikamaru and Chouji could merely gawk at the scene.

"You're dating **_her_**?!" Ino shrieked, pushing Chouji off of her and jabbing a finger accusingly between Sakura and Naruto while Shikamaru and Chouji stared at him with wide eyes.

"Of course he is, Pig!"

"B-but I'm not-"

"**_Yes_**, you are." Sakura glowered at him menacingly, scaring him into silence.

"And when exactly did this happen?" Shikamaru asked, utterly confused for the first time in his entire life.

"Just now," Sakura piped cheekily, leaving Naruto sputtering, Chouji and Shikamaru staring at her slack-jawed, and Ino inhaling furiously.

"Look, there he is!"

The group turned as shouts rang through the air, gasping simultaneously as they made eye contact with a large horde of girls, all running with determination with eyes fixed on a particular blonde boy.

"He's mine!"

"No, he's mine!"

"I love you Naruto!"

"Back off, he loves me the most!"

Naruto jerked his head back and forth between the mob racing towards him and his group of friends. He looked to Shikamaru and Chouji pleadingly only to see them running away, effectively abandoning him while Sakura and Ino resumed slapping at each other and arguing over who he loved the most. He looked at the mob fearfully and, completely bewildered; he did the only thing he could think of.

He ran.

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><p>Hinata Hyuuga is accustomed to regularity.<p>

She is used to traveling back and forth between the hidden villages often as an ambassador of the Leaf. She is used to seeing the familiar faces of fellow villagers and friends on her way to the market, or to the Hokage's office, or to the training grounds. She is used to walking down the street to the Yamanaka Flower Shop and continuing the short ways to the Memorial Stone every Tuesday afternoon at precisely 2 o'clock. She is used to the boisterous streets of Konoha and the familiar sound of the villagers going about their daily tasks.

Hinata Hyuuga is _not_ accustomed to the thundering noise of feet hitting the ground accompanied by the crazed screams of a pack of 30 girls as they stampede straight towards her, chasing after a familiar head of yellow hair.

And so, on that bright Tuesday afternoon that she would also come to remember as one of the best days in her life, she found her routine quite suddenly interrupted in the strangest and most delightful way.

She walked down the street, slowly making her way to the black stone that held his name and holding a bouquet gingerly between her hands. Her mind was exhausted from the past 2 months she'd spent out of Konoha traveling between the Hidden Villages since the end of the war, and her bones ached from the intense training session she'd had last night with Kiba and Shino, and she'd forgotten to eat breakfast that morning after forgetting to set her alarm, but she pushed the thoughts out of her mind by losing herself in the sound of the village around her. The creaking of wheels as a cart of vegetables is pushed towards the market place. The giggling of women as they deliver the newest gossip to one another, quickly averting their eyes when someone approaches close enough to hear. The laughter of children as they run along the road, chasing one another. The high pitched squeals of a horde of girls, chasing after Naruto Uzumaki–

Wait, what?

"N-Naruto?" she spoke with confusion as she watched him pound down the street in her direction. He was looking over his shoulder as a large group of girls sprinted down the street as they tried to catch up with him, eyes gleaming hungrily.

She gazed at him in surprise, a blush inevitably working its way onto her face as he ran, completely unaware of her presence. Was it really possible that he could have become even more handsome in the two months that pad passed since she'd last seen him? His blonde hair seemed longer and messier, and his eyes seemed brighter to her than the brightest stars in the sky and bluer than the ocean. She felt her heart quicken with the echoes of unsaid words and unfinished business; the memory of her confession and the events of the war playing in the back of her mind only increased the fluttering of butterflies in the pit of her stomach.

"Oh my goodness…" an elderly woman next to her trailed off as she stared at Naruto running towards them. Hinata looked at her with concern, ready to pull her out of the way when the woman got a glazed look in her eye and a sly smile appeared on her face. "What a gorgeous piece of man!"

Hinata stared at the woman aghast, jaw ajar as the woman began trotting towards Naruto as fast as her wrinkled legs could carry her. All the women in the general vicinity, she noticed, seem to have the same reaction as she watched several faces change from confusion and shock to flirtatious smiles and grins as they joined in the chase. Men stared after them in disbelief, calling after their companions only to be coldly ignored as all eyes fixed on Naruto.

_What in the world..?_ Hinata stood in the middle of the street as she heard Naruto groan in exasperation after narrowly avoiding a blonde woman's frenzied reach for his head. _'I-__**Ino?**__ And Sakura, and- is that Tenten? What's going on here?!'_

"Stop running away Naruto, I love you!" she heard Sakura yell, and she felt her heart plummet inside her chest. _Sakura...you love Naruto?_ Naruto increased his speed in a desperate attempt to escape until his foot snagged a rock and his lost his center of balance, stumbling forward a few feet and falling straight onto the dark-haired girl.

"Ah, sorr– **Hinata**!" Naruto began a hasty apology until his blue eyes flickered with recognition and surprise.

"N-N-Naruto?" Hinata stuttered out a response, all too aware of the weight of his body on top of hers and how close face was, and how hot her own felt, and the unfathomable depth of his gorgeous blue eyes, and how soft his lips looked–

"Oh no, you're one of them aren't you!" Naruto said despondently, breaking her train of thought.

"O-one of them..? N-Naruto, what's going on? Are you in trouble, are you hurt?" she asked with concern as she noticed the desperation in his eyes, and his eyes widened at her words.

"You're– you're _you_! You're not in love with me!" he sputtered out in disbelief and she blinked in utter confusion, repeating his words in her head when shouts rang out through the air.

"Shit, just hold on Hinata!" he yelled, and she felt two arms wrap around her tightly before the world went dark. She gasped as the muscles in her stomach clenched together tightly, and the blue sky was replaced with a gray ceiling an instant later. She felt soft carpet underneath her and gazed into the eyes that plagued her dreams a mere four inches in front of her face.

"Hinata? Are you okay?" Naruto looked at her with concern as the color drained from her face and her shocked expression was replaced with one of pain. He felt her body spasm underneath him and leaped off of her quickly, watching as she rolled onto her side and clutched her abdomen as dry heaves worked their way through her body.

"W-what…" she managed to ask before another spasm shook her and her hand shot out, finding his and squeezing it tightly.

"I-I'm sorry!" he spoke quickly, feeling a small blush work its way onto his face at the sudden contact. "I transported us to my apartment to get away from all of those girls, I kind of forgot that it's kind of rough the first time you go through it and forgot to warn you."

He scratched the back of his head lamely, grinning sheepishly in apology as she slowly regained control of her body. He placed a hand on her back reassuringly, unsure of what else to do, and stroked it lightly as she took deep breaths.

"N-Naruto," she began weakly and he winced remorsefully as a spasm shook her thin frame. He found himself wondering how her small body could handle such rough spasms and he squeezed her hand unconsciously. "What's g-going on? Why were all of those people c-chasing you?"

"Ah, about that," he reached for her other hand delicately as she began to stand, lifting her to her feet and blushing again when she leaned against his body weakly.

How long had it been since he'd seen her? One month, no, had it really been two? She seemed smaller than he remembered, her hair now cascading down the length of her back and to her waist. He blushed as he realized he still held her hand, yet couldn't find it within himself to pull it away. Was her skin always this soft? He'd never thought about it too much, but her hands were very delicate for a ninja, her smooth skin contrasting sharply with his calloused hands and he suddenly felt self-conscious.

He felt his heart quicken as he looked down at the top of her head, her face buried between her long, black hair and his shirt. He felt her warm breath against his chest, and for a moment thought he smelled the faintest hint of lavender on the corner of his nostrils. "I actually don't really know."

"Um, a horde of 40 women are c-chasing after you and you don't k-know why?" she looked up at him, brows furrowed in confusion and he shrugged apologetically. "When did this start?"

"Well, earlier when I was with Granny Tsunade I guess. I snuck off into her secret room," he paused to clear his throat awkwardly when she looked at him accusingly. "Anyway, I was just looking around and accidentally dropped one of her potions on me. And then she walked in, but instead of getting angry she tried to kiss me!"

"K-Kiss you?!" Hinata repeated, eyes wide with disbelief.

"Yeah! And so I ran off. But now for the past hour all the girls I've been seeing have been telling me they love me, and chasing after me, and Sakura kissed me, and-"

"Sakura kissed you?" she interrupted and he saw her looking up at him unhappily, and he felt her pull her hand away suddenly, leaving his palm feeling cold and empty. She took a step away from him then, and a small part of him wanted to pull her back towards him, hold her hand in his own again just so he could feel the softness of her skin once more. He immediately struck down the thought, questioning what had gotten into him and when exactly did he start wanting her so close to him? He thought he could see a deep sadness in her eyes in the way she looked at him, but shrugged off the thought immediately when she looked away from him.

"Yeah, and she told me she loved me," he blushed at the memory, remembering the way she crashed her lips against his. He wanted to smile at the fact the girl of his dreams had kissed him, but something about it had felt so…_wrong._ He noticed her wobble where she stood and wrapped his arm around her back quickly before leading her to the sofa and sitting her down gently.

"S-So all of the women of Konoha have suddenly fallen in love with you?" she asked, not looking him in the eyes. She felt her heart constrict in her chest, and she bit her lip lightly. It would be her luck, she thought sadly, that she couldn't even get his attention when no one else was interested in him, and now the entire female population of Konoha was falling at his feet. She fought the urge to cry, blinking a few times to stop tears from forming in her eyes, thinking how happy he must be to have Sakura reciprocate the feelings that he'd held for so long towards her.

"Everyone I've come across, that's for sure. Well, actually all of them except for you," he met her eyes with his own furrowed ones when they looked at him in surprise.

"M-Me?"

"Yeah, all of the girls have started acting crazy as soon as they laid eyes on me. But you– you're the only one I've met that's not in love with me," he scratched his chin quizzically, not noticing Hinata's eyes widening at his words and looking away quickly with a blush on her face.

_He must have forgotten…_ she thought dismally, the memories of the war that she'd cherished so dearly in her heart since she'd been away from him fading away. She supposed she couldn't blame him; much had transpired since their meeting on the battlefield against Madara and Obito, and even longer since Pein's attack on Konoha and her eventful intervention in the battle.

"Y-You said that a potion fell on you…do you remember the name?" she asked him and he strained his mind back to his actions earlier that morning.

"Yeah, I think it was called Pic– no, Poculum…Amoris?" he replied and she gasped lightly.

"Poculum Amoris? Naruto, are you positive that was the name?" she gazed at him intently, and her determined eyes reminded him of the potion shimmering in the dim sunlight of the room. Hinata's were prettier, he decided, before suddenly shaking the distracting thoughts from his mind.

"Yeah, I'm positive. Why?"

"This isn't good. We need to go to my apartment," she began to stand, and he stood just in time as she fell into his chest.

"I can carry you-"

"N-no," she interrupted, softly pushing herself off of him as thoughts of him and Sakura filled her mind. Naruto watched her balance herself and pouted, partially disappointed. "I-I'm fine, just a little shaky. I have to make a stop first, b-but you need to head over there right now."

"What, why?" he asked in confusion, thinking he should be offended by her ordering him around yet finding himself oddly okay with it.

"T-Those girls will come looking for you here. I don't think that they saw it was me you ran in to, so you should be able to hide at m-my apartment without anyone looking for you there," he thought he saw her blush lightly, but her face was hidden behind black locks.

"But what will you do?" he looked at her with concern as she approached the door, knees wobbling ever so slightly and her hand unconsciously squeezing the fabric of her shirt above her stomach.

"I-I'll be fine, I need to go check something. I'll meet you there in twenty minutes." She gave him a small smile to mask the pain she was feeling, and he furrowed his brow angrily.

"Hinata, you can't go anywhere like that! I'll help you to your apartment and whatever else you have to do can wait!" he exclaimed and she shook her head stubbornly.

"You remember where I live, right? I'll be there in twenty minutes, just wait for me," she ignored his protest and he inhaled a breath to argue against her wishes, but she'd already left. He sighed, kicking the couch and with a frown upon his face he disappeared.


	2. Chapter 2

Sapphire eyes scanned the room of the neat apartment cautiously before relaxing with a small breath of relief. Naruto looked around the room curiously before taking a seat on the couch to await his black haired companion, however after two agonizingly long minutes decided he'd much rather spend his time snooping around. The apartment, which was arguably the size of a small house in his opinion (befitting of the Hyuuga heiress, he presumed), was arranged comfortably. The living room was neat and clean yet warm and very much home-y, and the blonde could see essences of Hinata in everything– from the light purple of the walls, to the hand knit throw blanket strewn neatly over the head of the couch, to the small vase of lavender flowers adorning the stand by the door. He ran his fingers over the petals gently and inhaled their scent, before an image of her flowing black hair entered his mind causing him to blush. This was the scent he'd smelled on her as she leaned against him, and the memory of the potion came flooding back into his mind. He shook the thoughts away, disregarding the small voice in his mind saying that the only reason he liked the smell was because they reminded him of her.

He walked into her kitchen, easily making himself at home, and looked through the cabinets for something to eat. He looked behind each door, hoping to find some instant ramen, when his eyes settled on a small brown box. He picked it up, opening the lid and breathing in the rich chocolate aroma.

_That's right,_ he remembered the times he'd come to her apartment with Kiba and Shino before the war to prepare for a mission, _Hinata loves hot chocolate._

He lifted the box to his nose again and, after sniffing once more, decided that it strangely smelt identical to the Poculum Amoris potion. He furrowed his brow in thought, before shrugging it off as a coincidence and placing the box back onto the shelf and leaving the kitchen. He walked down the hall, further exploring the apartment, until he came to a wooden door. He walked inside, eyes widening when his eyes landed on a purple bedspread and decorated walls, and he quickly realized that this was Hinata's room. His lips curved into a small smile at how much the room reflected everything that Hinata was: neat, humble, warm, pretty –

_Wait, did I just call Hinata pretty?_ He stood still in her doorway, blinking repeatedly as he tried to understand his own train of thought. _N-No, I'm talking about her room! Her room is pretty, and it's a lot like her! So I guess she's pretty too then? Not that she's ugly! She's beautiful! Now I think she's beautiful?!_

"Gah!" He slapped his head to his forehead in exasperation, his jumbled thoughts giving him a headache and he almost turned to leave the room with a frown on his face when he glimpsed something out of the corner of his eye.

He made his way to the far wall which was partially covered with various pictures, and scanned his way through each of them. He smiled at a picture of a young, smiling Hinata with big pearl eyes holding a baby Hanabi, who looked almost equally as annoyed as an infant as she does now. His eyes moved across the wall as he studied each chapter of her life. She looked (fortunately) much more like her mother he learned, and her love of cinnamon rolls began in her childhood as he chuckled lightly at a picture of her and a very young Neji eating some happily. He saw a more recent one of her, Kiba, and Shino, resting in the forest during a mission, the sun shining on her prettily, and even some with her, Tenten, Ino, and Sakura. He'd never known they were that close, he realized, though he never paid much attention to girls anyway. He laughed loudly at a picture of a sullen, grown Neji sitting on the floor while Hinata smiled behind him braiding his hair, and was even (happily) surprised to find one of himself, Hinata, Kiba, and Shino on one of their earliest missions together all those years ago. He was grinning cheekily at the camera while Hinata peeked at him out of the corner of her eye with a blush on her face. He smile soon turned into a frown, however, as his eyes rested upon a photo of a grinning Kiba.

No Hinata, no other people. Just Kiba.

He scrunched up his nose and suddenly felt angry for no reason other than the fact that Hinata had a picture of Kiba here on her wall, filled with the people who were obviously special to her. Never mind the fact that he was her teammate, he found himself wondering what made Kiba so special that he had his own place on her wall. Could they be dating? And why did it bother him so much that they might be? He crossed his arms stubbornly, refusing to admit any form of jealousy at his smelly dog-friend, even though he very much noticed the fact that Kiba was wearing casual clothes in the picture meaning that it was obviously taken during their down time. Meaning that Kiba and Hinata hung out during their free time, a fact that upset him very much for a reason he couldn't quite understand and he (immaturely) moved another picture over to slightly cover Kiba's face. Smirking with satisfaction, he found himself moving on to the next picture and felt all the air escape his lungs. He tugged the picture off the wall lightly, and gazed at it intently. Her mouth was open in a wide smile, white teeth bright in the sunlight and eyes crinkled in the corners as she laughed at – well, it didn't matter what she was laughing at, because all he could think about was how _beautiful_ she looked, with her black hair pulled up into a loose bun on the top of her head, loose strands hanging down and framing her face as she reached a hand out to try to block the camera but failed. A light orange sweater hung off one of her shoulders, revealing the smooth skin underneath.

"Woah, Hinata…" he said breathlessly, and glancing around the room as though someone could be watching him before hastily tucking the picture into his pocket with the utmost care, then moving some pictures around to cover the space he'd created.

"Naruto?"

"H-Hinata!" he jumped in surprise, wheeling around in a panic to find her staring at him questioningly. "I was just, I didn't mean – uh, sorry I was just looking at the um, pictures."

She smiled at him and walked over to stand next to him, looking at the pictures on the wall fondly. She pointed out a picture of himself that he'd missed with a quiet giggle, and he smiled as he gazed at the picture of a young him standing next to Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chouji in their early days as children at the academy. Her smile faltered when she scanned over a recent picture of her and Neji, and she lifted her hand to touch the corner of the photo before sighing and dropping it back to her side.

"Um, I have something to show you," she looked up at him and he nodded before following her back into the living room. She was walking normally, he noticed with relief, and she motioned for him to sit on the couch as she began pulling various books off of the shelf.

"Is this about what you had to go and get?" he asked her as she spread the books out across the table and unzipped her weapons pouch on her thigh.

"Y-Yes, see why I couldn't wait?" she asked with a smile as she held up a tiny bottle between her fingers and he gasped when he saw the opalescent liquid floating inside.

"That's the potion! How'd you get it!?" he exclaimed and she looked away from him shyly, looking proud of herself.

"I had to sneak into Tsunade's secret room. I wanted to get a look at the bottle and see if anything was written on it and I managed to salvage a tiny bit of it."

"Nice going, Hinata!" he complimented her and she blushed prettily before turning towards the books and searching through each of them in turn.

"I knew what potion you were talking about because I'd read about it before. Here, here, and here," she pointed to different pages, each containing words so small and various intricate diagrams that they made him tired just looking at them. As if reading his mind, she began explaining their contents.

"This explains completely why all of the women in Konoha are chasing after you: Poculum Amoris is the most powerful love potion in the world," she looked at him sympathetically when his eyes widened in shock.

"Love potion?! So it just makes everyone I meet fall in love with me!?"

"U-um, not exactly. It doesn't create actual love, more like, um, a very powerful infatuation or obsession with whoever drinks or in your case touches it."

"Wait, so none of those girls really like me? So, when Sakura said she was in love with me she didn't really mean it?" he asked and she looked away from him and looked at the ground for a moment before answering.

"No. I'm sorry, Naruto," she apologized but he didn't feel _that_ bad about it. Actually, he didn't really care about it at all and he realized he didn't really care if Sakura loved him romantically because he didn't feel that way about her. After everything they'd been through, she was more of a sister to him and one of the closest things to family he had.

"Eh, I don't like her like that anyway." He shrugged nonchalantly as Hinata looked at him with complete surprise.

"You don't?" she repeated, almost as though she didn't believe it. He didn't blame her considering he'd been pining after his teammate for half his life.

"Nah, she's more of a sister to me," he grinned and Hinata couldn't prevent herself from grinning back.

_He doesn't love Sakura! He doesn't even mind that she didn't mean what she said to him!_ She thought to herself ecstatically, happily entertaining the thought that, once again, she might have the slightest chance at catching his eye.

"So what else do these say about the potion?" he scooted closer to her to get a better look at the pages set out in front of them and her heart fluttered happily as she lost her train of thought.

"U-um, well let's see. It smells differently to every person, mimicking scents that remind them of the person they love."

"No way," he piped up, suddenly very interested. "So whatever you smell is what the person you love is supposed to smell like?"

"Basically, yes…W-What did it, um, smell like to you?" she asked shyly, not entirely sure she wanted to hear his answer but unable to live with herself if she didn't ask anyway. He took the bottle from her hands, his fingers rubbing against hers lightly and sending electricity through her hands. She fought off her hundredth blush that day as he lifted the bottle to his nose and inhaled the aroma, setting the bottle down with a smile.

"It smells even better than it did earlier; hot chocolate, lavender, and cinnamon rolls." He looked at her with a dazzling smile and she nearly fainted, for he clearly didn't realize he'd just named off her three favorite things in the world (not including himself).

_Calm down Hinata, there's no way he could be talking about you. It's meant to smell like the person you love, so if he hasn't said anything about it then he must already know who she is…_

"Hina, did you hear me?" Naruto waved his hand in front of her face and she jumped slightly in surprise. "What does it smell like to you?"

She followed the length of his arm to find him holding the bottle out towards her face gently, and she seriously considered flinging the remaining liquid onto herself as a last ditch effort to get his attention. She took the bottle from his hand hesitantly, lifting it to her nose as a wave of the most amazing scents she'd ever smelled filled her nostrils. She found herself smiling, opening her eyes to find Naruto looking at her expectantly, nearly begging her to tell him.

"I-It smells like, um, black coffee." _Your favorite drink._ "Earthy, too, like freshly cut grass and spring rain." _The smell of your skin._ "And…"

"And?" he leaned very close to her, deeply anticipating her answer and leaving mere inches of space between the two of them. She lifted the bottle to her nose once more to allow her mind to memorize the smell and giggled softly.

"Come on, I told you so you have to tell me!" he exclaimed, unable to explain his want – no, _need_ to know what the man she loved smelled like.

"I-It smells like ramen." She laughed at how perfectly the potion was able to epitomize his smell and he leaned back against the couch.

"Ramen, huh? Hm, whoever this guy is he sure has good taste," he told himself, trying to hide the bitterness in his tone.

Was it coincidence that he just happened to like black coffee, and have ramen as his favorite food? There must be a million guys out there who like black coffee and ramen, he rationalized to himself, yet couldn't shake his disappointment. Somewhere out there, in this very village perhaps, was the guy that Hinata was in love with. And he couldn't understand why knowing that hurt his heart so much more than it should.

"Yes, he does have very good taste." She replied with a small blush, looking down at her hands as though lost in thought.

"Wait, so you know who this guy is?" he asked and she looked at him with confusion.

"O-of course I know who he is. Don't you know who the girl you love is, the girl who smells like those things…?" she finished quiet and he thought she looked almost sad.

"I'm not sure…it all smells _so_ familiar, it's like it's on the tip of my tongue but I just can't quite reach it."

"Maybe it's the last person you'd think…someone w-who's been there all along that you just maybe haven't opened your eyes to see." She said quietly, blushing lightly but holding his gaze as he soaked in her words.

"Well to be honest…" he trailed off.

"Yes?" she encouraged him to continue, feeling the tiniest bit of hope fluttering inside her as he looked at her deeply.

"It kind of smells like, well….never mind. I'm just imagining things," he broke away from her gaze before he got lost in her endless eyes.

"Oh…"

_What are you supposed to say, idiot? It smells like you, Hinata, every single thing about it reminds me of you? Or do I just want it to be you? Get a hold of yourself, baka, she's just your friend. She has her guy out there who she loves and he's not me._

She bit her lip, crestfallen after building herself up to hope for the best only to be let down and disappointed.

_You've said it once, what's so hard about saying it again? 'I love you, Naruto', it's just three tiny words…How can I say that to him though, when he loves another girl?_

She cherished his close proximity for another moment before leaning forward and occupying herself with a different book. She read the information aloud to him.

"The potion has to be taken constantly in order to maintain the false love in those affected by it or they regain their free will. The effects are near instantaneous to every member of the opposite gender, causing them to become excited or even dangerously unstable towards others," she explained as he nodded his head in concentration.

"Well that explains _a lot_, but I still don't understand why _you_ weren't affected by it Hina?" he scratched his chin in confusion, looking at her with curious blue eyes and she looked away before he could see the fervent blush appear on her face.

_Because I'm already in love with you, Naruto…Don't you remember?_ She thought sadly to herself, folding her hands together on her lap nervously.

"I-I'm not sure, Naruto," she replied softly, still blushing at the name he'd called her.

"How long will it last?" he asked and she grimaced lightly, looking at him cautiously.

"Well, um, twenty four hours…"

"**Twenty four hours!?**" he yelled loudly and she reached her hands out hurriedly and covered his mouth before he could resume his shouting.

"Naruto, shh! These aren't just normal girls after you; you're in a village full of _ninjas_. They won't stop until they track you down and when they do, it won't be very pleasant," she gazed at him desperately as he sat in astonishment. He could only meekly nod his head, a small blush appearing on his face as he enjoyed the feel of her fingers on his skin. She pulled her hands back slowly with a blush, leaving his skin tingling in their absence.

"But what am I supposed to do for twenty four hours? I can't go outside without being mobbed!" he whispered vehemently and color rose to her cheeks at the only plan (not that she thought about it very hard) she could come up with.

"W-w-well, you could, um, stay here, maybe? If you want?" she sputtered out shyly, refusing to make eye contact as Naruto balked at the suggestion.

_Stay the night, __here__? Just you and me? __Alone__?_ He didn't have to think about it much.

"Sure, thanks Hinata!" he grinned at her brightly and she looked at him in surprise before smiling back shyly.

"O-Okay. If you took the potion about an hour and a half ago, you should be fine here until around 1:00 tomorrow," she said and he looked his watching and was surprised to see it was already almost 3. "Hopefully no one will find you here until-"

***knock knock knock***

She cut of suddenly, eyes widening in surprise as three knocks resounded through the air loudly. They made eye contact, looking at each other helplessly as four more knocks rang in quick succession and she approached the door slowly.

"W-Who is it?" she called lightly.

"Hinata! It's Kiba, open up!" a familiar voice called out and he saw immense relief wash over her face as a happy smile appeared on her lips, much to his displeasure.

"Kiba!" she exclaimed, opening the door for him to step through. He quickly enveloped her in a tight hug as she closed the door behind him and Naruto felt his hand clench into a tight fist while his jaw hardened as he listed off all of the things that he hated about Kiba Inuzuka in his mind.

"I've been looking for you everywhere! Something weird is going on, all the girls are going _psycho_! They're all screaming that they love Naruto and fighting each other, everyone is running around looking for – **Naruto?!**" Kiba yelled in shock, making eye contact with the blonde on the couch and releasing Hinata from his grasp to point an accusing finger between the two.

"Yo," Naruto greeted a bit more harshly than he could help, shoving his hands into his pockets as he stood while Hinata gazed between the two of them anxiously.

"Hinata, what is **Naruto **doing in your house!?" he exclaimed before she could quiet him. "Don't tell me something's wrong with you too?! Did he take advantage of you?!"

"K-Kiba!" Hinata flushed dark red, covering her face with her hands in pure embarrassment as she shook her head quickly in denial.

"You think I'd take advantage of Hinata, idiot?!" Naruto stood angrily, raising a fist to the brown haired boy and Kiba held up his hands defensively.

"Calm down! It's just that something crazy is happening in the village, every single girl is talking about how she's in love with you and then I find you here with Hinata…" he trailed off, scratching his head in confusion while Hinata looked as though she might faint.

"What's so weird about all the girls loving me, huh? I mean, I did save the world and all." Naruto pouted, offended. A girl would have to be crazy to not be into him, he told himself, jutting out his chest confidently.

"**Baka, like you did it all by yourself!**" Kiba yelled angrily and Hinata placed a hand on his arm to calm him down, which only served to further anger Naruto.

"I-It's alright, Kiba. Naruto accidently got affected by a love potion that makes everyone of the opposite gender become obsessed with him, that's why all of the women in the village are acting that way. We ran into each other and it didn't affect me, so he's going to hide out here until it wears off tomorrow morning," she explained as Naruto and Kiba glared at each other.

"Wait, it didn't affect you Hinata?" Kiba repeated, breaking eye contact with Naruto and looking down at his teammate.

"No, she's the only one I ran into that wasn't acting all crazy but we don't know why," Naruto answered for her, walking over and standing next to Hinata to make himself a part of the conversation.

He was irrationally angry at his "friend" (the term being applied very loosely at this time), and as much as he couldn't believe it, he was actually _jealous_ of the dog boy for the first time in his entire life. He didn't know if it was the fact that Kiba had been looking for her, showing his obvious deep concern for her in the situation. He didn't know if it was the relief and happiness that he saw in her face when she heard his voice calling from the other side of the door. He didn't know if it was the way he pulled her into his arms the moment he walked in, chest sagging in relief as he saw that she was okay. He didn't even know if it was a million other things that had nothing to do with the current situation but that he suddenly found himself despising about Kiba; like the fact that she had the picture of him in her room, or that he'd been assigned to her team when they were 12, or that he was quite obviously her very good friend (he didn't want to believe that he might be more), or that they probably hung out and spent a lot of time together. But in that moment, he _hated_ Kiba for being everything to Hinata that he wasn't.

"You don't know why? But Hinata, couldn't it be because you already lo-"

"**Like Naruto said**," she interrupted suddenly, exchanging a frantic and knowing look with her friend that clearly stated _Oh my God Kiba, were you seriously about to say that I love him, can you not see that he's standing __**right there**__, are you out of your mind please shut your mouth immediately. _"We don't know why it isn't having any effect on me."

Kiba blinked for a moment before catching on, a sly grin appearing on his face as he glanced back and forth between his teammate and friend.

"Oh yeah, that's really weird." He chuckled to himself, deeply enjoying Hinata's obvious discomfort. "You do remember what day it is though, right?"

"Hm? What day it – oh!" she gasped, clapping her hands over her cheeks as she comprehended the meaning of his words. "The meeting!"

"Eh? What meeting?" Naruto asked in confusion as Hinata scurried into her room leaving him and Kiba standing in the doorway to her apartment.

"The huge Hyuuga Clan meeting! They're announcing who the next head of the clan will be, Hinata or Hanabi," Kiba answered as Hinata ran into the living room in a panic, frantically pulling scrolls off of her bookshelf and shoving them into a small bag.

"But isn't Hinata the oldest?" Naruto asked in confusion, not entirely sure he even understood the workings of the clans, much less one as prodigious and traditional as the Hyuuga's. "Why would there need to be a decision at all?"

"Baka, don't you know anything!? Half of the Elders don't even _want _Hinata to be the head, they don't think she's 'worthy' enough or has what it takes." He saw Kiba's fist clench in anger. "Why do you think it took her so long to learn and perfect her clan jutsus? She had to teach them to herself because Hiashi was training Hanabi half her life! It wasn't until a few months before the war that he even started acknowledging how strong of a ninja Hinata had become."

_Wow...That explains everything! Her shyness, her hesitancy– All this time she's had to try to live up to the high expectations of her family while they just put her down… _He felt his own fist clench and he had to restrain himself back from punching something.

"That's not fair! How could they think she doesn't have what it takes?! I mean come on, it's Hinata! She's, well – she's amazing! She's one of the strongest kunoichi I know and by far the bravest! She definitely is worthy enough to be the head!"

He looked at Kiba, wanting to find some kind of answer hidden in his face, but found him looking at him with a smirk that was far too mischievous for his liking. He opened his mouth to ask him why the hell he was giving him that smug look for when he heard a small scuffle behind his back, turning quickly to find Hinata standing in the doorway looking at him with wide eyes.

"H-Hinata! I, uh…" he trailed off as he looked her up and down. Her hands were clasped together loosely in front of her, draped by a light purple kimono with a darker violet band around her waist. Her hair was pulled back into a loose but pretty bun that reminded him very much of the picture he had hidden in his pocket, with a purple flower above her right ear. He felt a blush rise to his cheeks as he wondered how long she'd been standing there and praying that she didn't just notice him obviously checking her out.

"Y-You think I'm brave?" she asked him quietly, staring into his eyes and making him fidget in his place as she took a few steps towards him. "You really believe that I have what it takes lead the clan?"

Something about the hesitance in her voice made his heart ache and he placed his hand lightly on her shoulder.

"You'll definitely be a great head, Hina. Believe it," he smiled at her and the two stared at each other for what felt like hours until Kiba coughed awkwardly and broke the silence, Naruto pulling his hand off of her shoulder and scratching the back of his neck while Hinata looked at the floor with a bright blush.

"You'd better get going, I'll stay here with Naruto," Kiba said to her and she nervously nodded her head, stepping past both of them and reaching for the door handle.

"You won't leave…?" she held her hand on the door handle, looking back at Naruto shyly and he smiled and shook his head.

"And have to face all those crazy girls out there? No thanks."

"Promise, Naruto. N-No matter who you hear calling for you a-and no matter what they say, you have to stay in here," she gave him a look filled with so much worry it made his heart ache. "They'll do anything to find you, _anything_. Until that potion wears off…you're not safe around them."

"I promise." He swore to her, and she sighed with relief and gave him a nervous smile. She looked at Kiba, reaching her hand out for his.

"You'll do great. Don't worry about Naruto, I'll babysit him. Just come back as soon as you can with good news." He squeezed her hand reassuringly and then she was gone.

Naruto sighed, feeling as though a huge weight had been lifted off his shoulders now that she was gone, and leaned against the wall. Kiba chuckled and Naruto looked at him questioningly.

"So she's amazing huh?" Kiba smirked, immensely satisfied when color flushed to Naruto's cheeks for the briefest instant before he coughed self consciously and crossed his arms.

"So, you and Hinata…are you two, you know…dating?" Naruto asked, refusing to meet his friends gaze, and Kiba laughed loudly. He was gaining too much pleasure at how obviously jealous Naruto was of his and Hinata's friendship, but this – this was just the icing on the cake. _This is going to be way too fun._

"Come on idiot," he waved for Naruto to follow as he walked into the kitchen. "She says she likes to eat healthy, but I know where she hides her instant ramen. Let's eat and have a nice little chat about how big of a crush you have on Hinata."

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><p><em>Thanks for reading! <em>3


	3. Chapter 3

_Let me know what you think! ;3_

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><p>"So Naruto…What are your intentions with Hinata?"<p>

"Damn it Kiba, for the millionth time, _I don't have a crush on Hinata_!"

"Sure you don't," Kiba leaned back in his chair, interlocking his hands behind his head while a coy smile played on his lips. "You just happen to think she's 'amazing' and the bravest kunoichi you know. You just happened to be curious if we were dating –"

"You never gave me an answer to that, by the way," Naruto grumbled.

"– and straight up just checked her out earlier. But yeah, you don't have a crush on her."

"Shut up," Naruto retorted lamely, shoving a large amount of noodles into his mouth forcefully. "Just cut to the chase baka, are you two dating or not?"

"Maybe we are," Kiba shrugged nonchalantly and Naruto furrowed his brows angrily. "She's a total babe, I can basically get her to do whatever I want and she won't complain because she's too shy to speak up–"

"**_Don't talk about her like that_**." Naruto growled fiercely, slamming his fist down onto the table and glaring daggers at Kiba who grinned in response.

"God, you are _totally _into her," he held his stomach as he laughed loudly, causing Naruto to groan in exasperation, throwing his hands into the air before dropping his head down onto the table.

"Alright _fine_, I maybe sort of might like her just a little bit. So kill me! Just don't say things like that about her," Naruto slumped in defeat, trying to mentally prepare himself for the onslaught of teasing from Kiba.

"Hinata is my best friend idiot," Kiba replied with a laugh and Naruto peered up at him quizzically. "I mean I love her in a sisterly sort of way, but we're not dating."

Naruto let out a frustrated moan, mentally picturing himself slamming his fist into Kiba's face repeatedly while he wondered what was wrong with his friend's brain that he couldn't have just told him that the first time he asked an hour ago. He might not be dating her, but that didn't mean he didn't currently hate him any less.

"So let me ask you again," Kiba leaned forward, suddenly serious. "What exactly are your intentions with Hinata?"

Naruto gulped, surprised by how stumped he was by the question. What exactly _were_ his intentions? Did he even _have_ any in the first place? So maybe he liked Hinata a tiny bit, no big deal. Why did he have to act on his feelings so quickly when he wasn't even sure he understood them? Would she even want to date someone like him? Sure he wasn't the brightest crayon in the box, but he _had_ improved a lot over the years: he did save the entire world, after all, ending a cycle of hatred and bringing about the beginning of an era of peace that had never been seen in the world. He'd grown taller over the past few years and was next in line to be Hokage, so he wasn't exactly the loser of the bunch anymore. But Hinata was, _Hinata._ She was calm, and pretty, and shy smiles, and kindness, and grace, and dignity– she embodied everything that was great in the world…And she was already in love. He sighed.

"I don't have any intentions, she already loves someone else," he said quietly, arms crossed as he stared at the floor, then the window, then the fridge – anywhere that wasn't Kiba.

"EH? What do you mean she loves someone else?!" Kiba almost yelled in complete bewilderment. Hinata loving someone _other_ than Naruto did not even seem like it had the remotest possibility of happening anytime in the next million years. Naruto could be a homeless bum, a rogue ninja, or even marry someone else and Kiba was two hundred percent _positive_ that Hinata would continue to love him with everything she had, supporting him happily while aching in silence.

"She told me she already loves someone! She told me that she knows who she loves and that he smells like coffee and rain and – and **ramen**. He smells like ramen damnit, and he's not me," Naruto huffed angrily, clutching his hair in frustration as he banged his head down upon the table once more.

Kiba blinked. Then blinked again. And blinked a third time, before finally bursting into such an uncontrollable fit of laughter tears formed in his eyes and Naruto had to use all his will to stop himself from flinging his body across the table and murdering Kiba Inuzuka.

"He smells like **_ramen_**?! Kami, you are the biggest idiot I have **ever** met," he sputtered out between chuckles, wiping the tears from his eyes as a peeved Naruto glared at him with pure killing intent. "What exactly do you remember from the war, baka?"

"The war?" Naruto repeated, finger tapping against his lips as he searched through his mind. "I mean I remember beating Madara and Obito."

"Before that, baka."

"I mean, I remember the Ten Tails attacking, and all of the Alliance fighting together?"

"_Before that_! What about Pein, what do you remember about him attacking the village!?" Kiba exclaimed.

"Of course I remember Pein! I remember him destroying half the village and then beating him and everyone coming back to life! What's your point?!" Naruto yelled, frustrated at his confusion in where his friend was going with his line of questioning. Sure he didn't remember much of the specifics, but a _lot_ had gone on in the past year how was he supposed to remember every single thing that happened?! _I can't even remember what I ate for breakfast this morning! Granny Tsunade has been dragging me into a million different meetings discussing all kinds of new policies, the war seems like it was years ago!_

"Gah, idiot!" Kiba slapped his forehead with his hand in exasperation. _How can you have forgotten Hinata confessing to you!? She almost gave her life for yours! Twice!_ He used all his will to resist the temptation of smacking his blonde comrade across the head.

"Forget it, you'll figure it out eventually," he muttered before his eyes suddenly became serious, standing and fixing his eyes on the window.

"Eh, what's going o-"

"Naruto!" he heard a feminine voice scream desperately from outside and his eyes widened. "Naruto, help me!"

"That's Sakura!" Naruto stood quickly, eyes wide as the echo of his friends scream rang in his ears. He ran toward the door, reaching to fling it open before feeling Kiba grab his arm and pull him back roughly.

"Baka, what the hell are you doing!? Sakura's in trouble, I have to help he-"

"She's not in trouble." Kiba said seriously as he fixed his gaze on the window with furrowed brows.

"Please, Naruto!" He heard her call out for him and attempted to pull his arm free from Kiba's grasp only to feel his grip tighten, and he deeply considered calling out her name when he heard another voice.

"Did you find him, Sakura?" he heard Ino's voice as Kiba gestured for him move to the window, holding a finger to his lips. He stood next to Kiba, masking his chakra as he peeked out the window.

"Ugh, it's not working you guys." Sakura stomped her foot in frustration as he gazed at her, shocked to see her completely unharmed.

"What the hell," he began before being shh'ed by Kiba.

"Remember what Hinata said," Kiba whispered to him. "They'll do _anything_ to find you."

"He **has** to be around her somewhere, I could've sworn I sensed his chakra on this side of the village," Tenten pouted as she approached her two friends. "Where could he be hiding?"

"Hey, that's Hinata's house isn't it?" Ino pointed in their direction and the two boys eyes widened as they pulled back from the window suddenly, sinking to the ground and looking at each other anxiously.

"Yeah! Maybe that's where he is!" he heard Tenten exclaim happily and he cursed under his breath as he began figuring out an escape plan.

"There's no way he'd be there, she's way too shy to let him stay there and he barely even notices she exists in the first place," Sakura scoffed and he watched Kiba's fist clench and brows furrow in anger. _What are they talking about?_ Naruto wondered. He noticed Hinata, didn't he?

"Yeah that would be the _last _place he would try to hide, she'd probably faint before she could even offer. Come on, let's look somewhere else," he sighed as he heard three pairs of feet fade into the distance and peeked out of the window to find the coast clear.

"Tch, those girls sure have a lot of nerve talking about Hinata like that!" Kiba shook his fist at the window angrily.

"I can't believe Sakura would try to trick me like that." Naruto muttered in disbelief and Kiba sighed placing his hand on his friends shoulder supportively.

"I guess we can't really blame them, that damn potion is making them crazy. I still think they're assholes though," he added angrily as he walked back into the kitchen with Naruto trailing behind him.

"Hinata wasn't kidding about how obsessed they'd become." Naruto slunk back into his chair and began devouring his now cold ramen without pause.

"Yeah, she's pretty smart," he nodded his head with a smile like a proud father. "Hey, she's back!"

Naruto looked at him in confusion, his expression clearly saying _how can you tell_ and Kiba responded by tapping his nose with a sly grin, before the duo heard the door handle twist and footsteps enter the house.

"Hinata!" Naruto called out cheerfully, much to Kiba's amusement, as he leaped out of his chair and bounded towards the living room. "How did it g–**TEME?!**"

"You're dead, baka."

* * *

><p><em>"If you will not give up on these girlish dreams to find a suitable husband, then you cannot become the new Head. You may be the eldest, but you are too soft to rule this clan alone."<em>

_"How can you find him unsuitable?! He is the bravest shinobi any of us has ever seen, and he's done so much for the village–!" _

_"Despite his many achievements, we cannot permit you to wed outside of the noble clans. Especially when he has…"_

_"So that's what this really is about. It has nothing to do with nobility, you won't approve because he is a Jinchuuriki. It's because of the Nine Tails that any of us are alive and yet you our Elders, who are supposed to be the wisest of us all, are too proud to see it."_

_"The reasoning is unimportant. Naruto Uzumaki is not a viable suitor." _

_"If the greatest shinobi– no, if the greatest __man__ in the world is not good enough for you, then…Then I refuse to become the next Head of the Hyuuga clan. I revoke my standing as the eldest and decline the position of Head of the Hyuuga clan." _

_"…Then it is decided: Hanabi shall henceforth be the new heiress and next Head of the clan. That is our final decision."_

Hinata bolted down the street clumsily; her vision blurred as fresh streams of tears rolled down her cheeks while the memories of the past hour flooded her mind. Her feet pounded against the ground roughly and loose strands of hair fell against her face, but she could only feel the aching in her chest as pain consumed her. And as she arrived at her destination she fell to the ground, dissolving into sobs and clutching the grass beneath her.

"D-Did I make the right decision, nee-san?" she asked between sobs, gazing up at the name carved into the cold, black stone. Silence was the response, and she wrapped her arms around herself as sheer loneliness enveloped her.

_You would know what to do, you always had the answer I needed…Neji. I don't know what to do anymore. I chose my own fate; would you be proud of me?_

However she wasn't even sure, she thought as she lay strewn across the ground, that the fate she chose was worth it. She couldn't imagine in what universe her sobbing on the dirty ground while just having given up her rightful place as head of her clan for a boy who barely recognized her existence much less reciprocate her feelings could possibly be worth it.

_No. It doesn't matter what anyone says or thinks; Naruto will __**always**__ be worth it._

"Hn, crying in the dirt doesn't seem very befitting of a Hyuuga heiress," a voice spoke from her left flatly, and she didn't have to look up to know whose familiar presence was leaning against a tree a couple feet away.

"I-I'm not the heiress anymore though, a-am I? But you already k-knew that, didn't you Sasuke?" She spoke between sobs, looking up at him with eyes still brimming with tears as he looked back at her unwaveringly with his signature blank expression.

"Hn," he replied shortly, shoving his hands into his pockets and moving to stand in the spot next to her. He gazed at the KIA Stone silently, though she knew which name he looked at. She wasn't the only one who had lost a brother in that cycle of hatred.

"I gave up _everything_," she found herself laughing bitterly as a tear ran down her cheek. "I worked my entire life to prove myself to them, and I just threw it all away for a boy that doesn't even remember that I'm in love with him." She bit down on her lip as she choked down another sob, closing her eyes tightly as Sasuke stood unmoving beside her.

"That's what you get for loving that dimwit, Hyuuga." It wasn't exactly sympathetic, but she knew it was pretty much the closest he could get to sympathy. She sighed and found herself wiping the tears from her face roughly before bringing herself to her feet, dusting the dirt from her kimono. She may not be heiress anymore but she was still a Hyuuga, and Hyuuga's carried themselves with pride. She stood beside him, each staring at the stone in silence.

"You know why I'm here," he stated matter-of-factly and Hinata merely nodded her head.

She appreciated that about Sasuke Uchiha. He didn't allow people to wallow in self-pity and could recognize when someone didn't want to talk about what was bothering them, which worked well for him because he didn't give one fuck about what was bothering people anyway and well for her because she didn't like talking about her problems to people either. He just always seemed to _know_ what was going on and what bothered people. He didn't push you to speak; he just expected the best of those around him and in effect made everyone around him strive to be at their best. Silence was welcome, and that was something Hinata could understand.

"Y-You're looking for Naruto, aren't you?" she asked, sniffling one last time before looking at him. "Why?"

Now that was what Sasuke could appreciate about Hinata Hyuuga. Sasuke had no patience, and unlike every other girl he'd come into contact with (and somehow the complete opposite of the one he ended up with) she got straight to the point. He didn't like weakness, and despite her reputation Hinata Hyuuga knew how to hold herself with pride for the sake of her clan and constantly strove to improve. He understood her desire to prove herself to her family, and so in effect the two shared an odd but very fitting sort of friendship.

High-pitched squeals rang through the air, an indirect response to her question and Sasuke glanced at her.

"You know why."

"What makes you think I know where he is…" she asked softly, trying not to sound too suspicious and he gave her a blank look. She sighed before turning away from him.

"C-Come with me and I'll explain on the way. Just promise you won't hit him."

"Hn."

* * *

><p>Hinata glanced between her door and Sasuke standing next to her nervously. She knew she didn't have any other choice but to open the door for him unless she wanted it broken down, which she knew he wouldn't hesitate to do, for by now she was sure he could sense Naruto's presence inside her home (it was about as subtle as a jackhammer in a library. She could feel the anger radiating off of him as sure as she could feel the wind blowing around her, however his face betrayed no hint of emotion. She bit her lip anxiously as she unlocked the door and turned the handle, contemplating what she could possibly been thinking when she told him of Sakura's actions that day.<p>

"Hinata!" she heard Naruto call out happily and a smile worked its way onto her face as he bounded excitedly into the living room from her kitchen, Kiba right on his tail. "How did it g-**TEME**?!"

"You're dead, baka."

She saw his smile immediately shift into shock and before she could open her mouth to reply he was suddenly shoved against the wall by his furious friend.

"What the hell is your problem, Sasuke?!" Naruto yelled in confusion and anger as Sasuke raised his fist to pound him into oblivion before Hinata grabbed his arm.

"You promised," she reminded him harshly, staring unwaveringly into his now red eyes. "It's not his fault."

He glared at her harshly before hesitantly lowering his fist and pushing Naruto away from him. He closed his eyes and took a breath, opening them to reveal onyx eyes.

"Does anyone want to explain what the hell is going on here?" Kiba approached the group cautiously, glancing between a confused Naruto, a nervous Hinata, and a pissed off Sasuke. "Hinata what are you doing with Sasuke?"

"And why the hell are you trying to punch me, you asshole!?" Naruto added angrily, shaking his fist at his friend who glared in response.

"Be grateful you aren't dead, baka." Sasuke responded coolly, crossing his arms and glancing at Hinata who looked away guiltily.

"U-Um, we ran into each other and he was looking for you. I explained what happened earlier a-and also, may or may not have accidentally mentioned whathappenedbetweenyouandSakuraearlier," she sputtered out quickly, she smiled guiltily as Naruto and Kiba stared at her incredulously.

"Explain." Sasuke glared at his friend as he began to head into the kitchen, before stopping and glancing at Hinata over his shoulder. "Don't you have something you need talk about?"

"Oh," she glanced at Kiba nervously. "C-Can I talk to you, please? In private?"

Kiba nodded, eyebrows furrowed in confusion as he followed her silently into another room, trying to ignore Naruto's harsh glares against his back.

"Not you." Sasuke pulled Naruto into the kitchen as he began to follow the two.

"But-"

"She said private, dobe."

"Teme bastard, how'd you run into each other anyway?" Naruto pouted childishly, plopping himself down into a chair in the kitchen.

"I found her crying in the dirt by the KIA Stone," Sasuke replied boredly, taking a seat across from the blonde. "That's not important, explain to me why-"

"What do you mean it's not important, something is obviously wrong with her!" Naruto stood angrily, making his way out of the kitchen only to be pulled back by Sasuke once again.

"Do you not understand the meaning of 'private', idiot?" He looked his friend up and down– from his rough hair and anxious eyes, to his deep frown – and an amused smirk appeared on his face. "It all makes sense now."

"What makes sense now, asshole." Naruto glared at him angrily, very much not liking being out of the loop and not knowing what is going on with Hinata and why she was crying and hating Sasuke's pompous smirk that clearly stated _I know something you don't, baka_.

"Why you've been asking about Hyuuga for the past month." Sasuke crossed his arm and looked across the table at his flummoxed blonde friend.

"Pft, I-I have not been asking about her for the past month." Naruto scoffed, looking away from the avenger when he felt heat begin to rise to his cheeks.

"Hn, 'where is Hinata,' 'how long will she be gone,' 'when is she coming back,' 'who is she with,' 'what if she gets hurt'," Sasuke mocked, smirking when he saw a tint of pink on Naruto's cheeks.

"So maybe I asked about her a couple times, what does that have to do with anything?" Naruto picked at the edge of the table, trying to seem uncaring and show no emotion as onyx eyes stared him down.

"You're in love with Hyuuga," Sasuke told him, smirking when red flashed across Naruto's cheeks. "Tch, she's totally out of your league idiot. Well, she _was_-"

"What do you mean was?" Naruto leaned across the table, frowning as Sasuke waved off the question with a bored expression.

"Hn, it doesn't matter," he stated though Naruto found it mattered very much. "Explain to me why Sakura keeps telling me she's in love with you and your new girlfriend, why the two of you kissed, and why she's been running around the village all afternoon looking for you."

Naruto gulped, suddenly feeling as though he was being interrogated by a teacher or the Hokage and feeling deeply in trouble though he knew he didn't exactly do anything _personally _for Sasuke to be angry with him.

"Technically, _she_ kissed me." Naruto muttered, looking away from the Uchiha before he could capture him in a genjutsu. "It's really not my fault, I'm the victim here."

Sasuke looked at him with eyes burning like the flames of hell as he gazed at Naruto, no doubt contemplating the most efficient yet most painful way of murdering his former teammate and Naruto held his hands up defensively.

"Well it's the truth! I accidentally dropped a love potion on me okay, and it makes every girl become obsessed with me for 24 hours. Hinata says it's not real love, just "infatuation" or something like that. I'm not trying to steal your girlfriend if that's what you're thinking teme, I don't like her like that." Naruto glared at his friend across the table. Sasuke held Naruto's eye flatly for a full minute before leaning back in his seat, seemingly satisfied with the answer.

"Idiot, so when does it wear off." Sasuke asked, obviously wanting to know how long he would have to put up with Sakura's ranting and obsession with his best friend.

"Eh, tomorrow around 1. I'm hiding out here with Hinata until then," Naruto responded and Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.

"I thought all the girls were obsessed with you, so why would you stay with one?" Sasuke asked before a smirk appeared on his face. "Unless you're just trying to take advantage of the Hyuuga, though you didn't need a love potion for that."

"**Baka, what is up with you people thinking I'm trying to take advantage of Hinata!?**" Naruto yelled angrily while Sasuke stared at him with an amused expression on his face. "She wasn't affected by the potion, I don't know why though."

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed at him with disbelief. "You really are an idiot. It's obvious to everyone that Hinata is already in love with– "

"**No**, Hinata. I've _always_ supported your decisions and encouraged you, but **this**?! This is too far, even for you," Sasuke was interrupted by Kiba stormed past the kitchen, heading towards the door with angry determination while Hinata followed with an expression of despair.

"Kiba, just wait!" Hinata reached out for him, gasping when he pulled his arm out of her reach.

"What's going on?" Naruto demanded as he and Sasuke entered the living room, feeling anger rise in the pit of his stomach at Kiba's harsh treatment towards his teammate while Hinata refused to meet any of their eyes. He looked at Sasuke for answers, only to find the Uchiha had found the wall very interesting all of a sudden and looking very much like he did _not_ want to be involved in the current squabble.

"Go ahead and tell him, Hinata. Tell him what happened at the meeting," Kiba demanded and looked at her expectantly, surprising Naruto with the angry tone he used. He didn't know much about their relationship, but he was pretty sure Kiba would _never_ talk to Hinata like that.

"What happened at the meeting? Hinata?" He tried to meet her eyes but she turned away from him, and he felt anxiety prickling in his gut. Kiba growled, slapping a hand to his forehead in exasperation.

"She gave up being the heir! **She** **gave it up** and now Hanabi is going to be the next Head!" Kiba jerked his hand in her direction, furiously responding to Naruto's question in Hinata's place as she looked at the floor silently.

"_What_?! Hinata, why would you do that?" Naruto asked in complete shock. She seemed so much more confident about becoming the head when she'd left them, what could have possibly happened between now and then that she would give up everything she'd been working for?

"That's the magic question, isn't it? Why don't you ask _her_ that, I'm out of here," Kiba spat out bitterly, yanking the door open and slamming it behind him as he stormed out. Naruto looked at Sasuke in confusion but he just sighed, wondering how he'd gotten himself involved in the middle of all of this drama.

"I'm leaving as well, this isn't my business." He walked to the door, raising a hand boredly in goodbye before closing the door silently behind him and leaving the two standing in silence.

"Hinata…?" He approached her warily, reaching a hand out and gently touching her shoulder. "What did he mean you 'gave it up'?"

She managed to smile slightly as her silver eyes filled with tears and sorrow, and Naruto felt his heart ache as she continued to stare at the floor.

"I gave it up," she responded quietly with a dejected shrug as tears threatened to flow over her eyelids. "I-I believe my exact words were '_I refuse to become the next Head of the Hyuuga clan'._"

"Why!" Naruto exclaimed, looking at her with disbelief. "Hinata, why would you say that to them after working so hard!?"

"I had to," she replied. "Or else I couldn't be with the one I love." He felt a streak of pain in his chest and, putting his hand on her other shoulder turned her to face him.

"But why?" he whispered and he looked up at him then, smiling sadly as tears streamed down her cheeks.

"Because losing him would hurt more than becoming Head would could ever me happy. Because if I were forced to choose between him and everything I've worked for my entire life, I would choose him every time."

And before he could contemplate his actions, he pulled her towards him and enveloped her in his arms.


	4. Chapter 4

Naruto lay silently with arms wrapped around a frail body, tight and protective. He felt her squirm in his grasp and his breath caught as she unconsciously scooted closer to his body, delicate hands gripping the fabric of his shirt. He wasn't sure how it was possible for her to sleep through the loud thumping in his chest, but he could hear her deep inhalations and feel her warm breath against his chest and couldn't help but smile fondly.

_"I would choose him every time."_ Her words had reverberated through his mind endlessly since she'd cried herself to sleep in his grasp, and he rested his chin gently on the top of her head with a sigh and frown on his face.

_What the hell was I thinking hugging her like that, right after she told me she did all this for another guy? Kami, I'm such an idiot. Sasuke was right, I think– I think…I'm in love with Hinata._

"Naruto…" she mumbled in her sleep, sighing dreamily against his chest and he felt his heart constrict in his chest.

_I'm in love with Hinata,_ he thought sadly as he tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He ran a finger lightly down the length of her cheek, enjoying the feel of her smooth, milky skin under his touch before sighing. _But she doesn't love me._

What was so special about this guy that Hinata loves him so much? Naruto didn't think he was too bad looking, and he was arguably the strongest ninja in the world. And he didn't really like to pull this card (he pulled it all the time), but he _did_ restore peace to the world and that seemed like a big enough deal to him for him to catch her eye, right?

_"It's obvious to everyone that Hinata is already in love with-_"

Naruto clenched his fist in anger. Was it really obvious who Hinata is in love with, because he sure as hell couldn't think of anybody. Or maybe he just didn't think anyone else was _worthy_ enough to deserve her love. Or maybe he didn't _want_ her to be in love with anyone that wasn't him. He tightened his hold on her, trying not to notice the curves hidden beneath the fabric of her clothes as he ran his hand up and down the length of her back lightly, smirking when she shivered under his touch.

_If this is the only time I'll get to enjoy having her in my arms, then…I might as well…enjoy...it. _And with the scent of lavender in his nose he drifted off to sleep with her warm body pressed tightly against his.

* * *

><p>"N-Naruto…Naruto, wake up."<p>

"Mmrph, Hina," he mumbled groggily, rolling over on the couch and squeezing his eyes shut tighter.

"Naruto," she giggled softly at his behavior as she placed a hand on his shoulder and shook him lightly. She inhaled sharply when he found her hand and captured it within his own larger one, opening his eyes drowsily.

Her heart quickened in her chest and she felt her cheeks heat up as his gaze met hers and she couldn't help but think how adorable he looked when sleepy, with his bright eyes trying to focus on the world around him and his hair a tangled, jumbled mess. She bit her lip nervously, trying to ignore her desire to run her fingers through his hair and crawl back between his arms. Another blush streaked across her cheeks at the memory of waking up wrapped between his arms, her hands clutching his shirt while his own wrapped around her back and held her head so close to him.

_He was only comforting me, _she told herself. _He knew I was upset, and was just being a good friend. It didn't mean anything…_ She sighed.

"N-Naruto, I made food. I-if you're hungry, that is, I-I mean you don't have to eat any," she sputtered out nervously as he rubbed his eyes with one hand, sitting up slowly.

"What time is it? I guess I fell asleep," he blinked a few times to wake himself up before turning his gaze to her.

"It's, um, about 6 o'clock," she replied. "A-Are you hungry? I made some ramen."

"Ramen?" he repeated, instantly perking up. "I'm always hungry for ramen."

"Okay," she smiled, moving to stand before suddenly stopping. "Um, N-Naruto?"

"Mhm?" he replied, looking at her curiously and she blushed lightly.

"Y-You're, um– you're holding m-my hand," she said quietly and his eyes widened before quickly shifting his gaze down to their hands and finding hers, indeed, locked within his own.

"Ah, s-sorry!" He replied, quickly releasing hers and attempting to hold back a blush and grinning nervously.

She smiled and stood, turning to walk into the kitchen while he sat up straighter and stretched his arms above his head. She must have woken up awhile ago, he thought as he noticed her change of clothes from her kimono into a loose black cotton shirt and tighter, mid-thigh length spandex shorts. Her hair was put up into the casual but cute bun he liked on the top of her head, and couldn't help the heat that rose to his cheeks as he pretended not to notice the way her shorts hugged her curves in all the right places. However as he realized the position she must have woken up in, wrapped tightly in his arms and pulled close to his chest his face flushed brightly. He coughed before standing and following her into the kitchen.

She stood at the stove silently, pouring noodles into two bowls (he smiled as he noticed one was extremely large to fit his appetite) with a thoughtful expression on her face. He leaned against the door, frowning as her expression between confusion and sadness.

"Hinata, I'm uh, sorry for– you know– falling asleep with you like that. T-That was probably weird, I'm not a pervert or anything," he finished lamely, wanting to make that point clear since everyone seemed to think he was some kind of sexual deviant.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, a bright blush appearing on her cheeks and she almost dropped the ladle she held in embarrassment. "Y-You don't have t-to apologize, Naruto. I, um, I really didn't m-mind."

"You didn't?" he repeated with surprise and she shook her head softly, preoccupying herself with the ramen to hide her red cheeks while he smiled brightly.

"W-Would you like to eat outside?" she looked at him and smiled weakly. "I think…I think I owe you an explanation, f-for the meeting and with Kiba..."

"Yeah," he replied hesitantly, carefully taking the bowl she held out to him and following her out of the kitchen.

_Hinata…_ he looked at her sadly as she led him further into the apartment with a small smile on her face, though her eyes were empty and sad.

"I'm okay, Naruto," she said as though reading his mind, looking sideways at him with a reassuring smile that he couldn't return. She bit her lip before sighing. "Well…I will be. I promise."

She slid open a door to reveal a large yard in the back of the apartment, surrounded by high walls and trees with a wooden patio. He noted a plethora of flowers covering one third of the area draped in the evening sun, while wooden posts and various weapons were scattered about the rest of the area.

"I usually, um, train back here on my own. To improve on my clans techniques," she told him softly as she took as seat at the edge of the patio, beckoning for him to sit next to her which he obligingly did.

"You garden?" he motioned towards the flowers and she blushed lightly.

"Y-Yes. My mother…when she was alive she taught me."

"I with I hath thime fur a 'obby like that," Naruto mumbled though a full mouth and Hinata giggled.

"Hanabi is kind enough to care for them while I'm away on missions…she'll make a great Head."

Naruto swallowed and saw her gazing at the flowers with a faraway look in her eyes, lost deep in thought. Her hands were clenched tightly on her thighs, shaking lightly and her eyes began to glimmer with the threat of tears before she blinked them away and looked down at her bowl silently.

"Hinata…what happened? Why did you give up becoming Head?" Naruto looked at her with confusion and she sighed.

"The Elders…they never wanted me to be Head. Hanabi was always their favorite, she's always been tough and strong; she has everything that is needed to run the clan. I-I just thought that with the improvement I've made that…that they might feel differently now."

"What did they tell you?" he beckoned her to continue and she looked at him hesitantly, but unable to hold his gaze looked towards her garden again.

"Th-they said that they had to take into consideration that I'm the eldest, f-for tradition's sake, and that it might be allowable for me to rule the clan if I c-chose a suitor."

"A suitor?!" he repeated in disbelief. "They want you to get married?!" Naruto set down his bowl, and moved his head in her line of path to force her to look at him. She nodded hesitantly and he felt his fist clench at his side and his pulse quicken as anger coursed through his veins.

"I told them…I told them that I refused to be forced into a marriage imposed upon me, and that I could lead the clan on my own. B-But they said that I'm too soft, too kind…that the Hyuuga need a leader who will be firm and represent the clan with a strong will, and that unless I had an approved suitor to marry that they would not allow me to be Head. I told them there was only one man I loved and that I refused to marry another."

"But you could have married this guy and been happy and become the Head!" he exclaimed, chest aching with each word and she looked away from him and laughed lightly at his response.

"N-not only did they not approve of him, he barely notices I exist to begin with," she folded her hands together over her lap.

_He barely even notices she exists in the first place,_ Sakura's words echoed in his head and he pushed them to the side. _Stop trying to convince yourself that you might be that guy, idiot._

"Why didn't they approve?" he asked hesitantly, conflicted on whether he should be happy that Hinata was not allowed to marry this guy or feel guilty that he was happy when it caused her sadness.

"They said I couldn't wed outside of the noble clans. His, u-um, his…_past_ had caused then to dislike him a long time ago. They refused to look past these events and deemed him unsuitable, so I revoked my standing as heiress and turned down the position."

"Well if he's a bad guy I don't think he's good enough for you either," he mumbled grumpily and she surprisingly giggled which caused him to look at her in confusion.

"He's not a bad guy. In fact, he's done much for the village and is probably one of the greatest shinobi of all time," she looked up at the sky, a small smile on her face and he scowled jealously.

"You're not in love with Sasuke or Kakashi-sensei, are you?" he asked her accusingly and she flushed a bright red.

"N-Naruto! N-no, I'm not in l-love with Sasuke or K-Kakashi-sensei!" she sputtered out hastily, shaking her head in embarrassment as she raised her hands to cover her cheeks. "They're both already involved with someone!"

"Just making sure, I can't really think of anyone else in the village that could be one of the greatest shinobi ever, other than me," he crossed his arms with a pout and watched as another wave of red invaded her cheeks and she turned away from him quickly.

_Tell him you love him! Tell him that he _is_ the person you're talking about! You've said it once already, what's so hard about saying it again?_ She goaded herself, though she did admit that it was a lot easier to confess her love to the boy of her dreams when she was sure that she was about to die rather than now when she'd be forced to face his rejection.

"Tell me about him."

"H-Huh?" she stuttered out, looking at him with wide eyes as he stared at her seriously, his mouth a hard line and she felt heat once more rising to her cheeks that she questioned why it didn't just stay there permanently.

"Tell me about this guy that you love," he repeated, looked at her with a brow furrowed in concentration.

"U-Um, I don't r-really know where to start…" she had to tuck her hands under her thighs to resist the urge to poke her forefingers together, an old habit that she was sure she'd gotten rid of that (of course) Naruto would bring up in her again.

"Does he live here?"

"Y-Yes, he lives here in the village."

"Hm," he said shortly, bringing his legs up to cross them Indian-style and resting his head in his palms, looking at her so intently that she was sure she would faint. "Do I know him?"

"Y-Yes, you know him v-very well."

"Very well, huh? And he's our age?"

"Y-Yes, he's the same age as us…"

"…Do you love Kiba, Hina?"

"K-Kiba?" she repeated in complete shock, and blinked in confusion while thinking she saw a tint of sadness in his eyes. "N-No! I would never feel about h-him that way. Kiba is like m-my brother."

She swore she saw him sag in relief, and his eyes brightened significantly for a moment before all the color drained from her face.

"It's not Shikamaru, right?"

"N-Naruto!" she blushed again but could not hold in her laugh as he stared at her in horror.

"Why are you laughing?! Kami, it's not really him is it!? You can do way better than that lazy ass!" he looked at her anxiously and she shook her head while raising a hand to her mouth to try to stifle her giggles.

"Shikamaru is d-dating Temari, Naruto!" she placed a hand on her stomach as shook lightly with fits of laughter and he sighed audibly in relief before joining her in laughter, grinning widely as he enjoyed the melodious sound of her voice.

"H-He's very funny," she smiled dreamily, looking down at her lap with a small blush on her face. "He's also very kind and compassionate, and is always striving to improve. H-He never let's anyone bring him down and is very protective of those he cares about…He's extremely charismatic and has a lot of determination. A-And most of all…he never goes back on his word."

Naruto looked away from her, unable to continue looking at how happily she talked of this guy. _I'm all of those things_, he told himself bitterly. _So why can't Hinata love me?_

"You seem…like you really love this guy," he said quietly, breaking her from her reverie and causing her to look at him suddenly in surprise. Her cheeks flushed and she looked at him sadly.

"I've…I've loved him since I was a little girl."

"Hm. Well whoever this guy is," he paused to look at her fully, grazing his hand over hers lightly. "He's really lucky."

She flushed brightly, suddenly noticing how close he was and feeling the warmth of his hand over her own and a million other details that sped up her heart and stopped it simultaneously. She opened her mouth to stammer out a response while the sound of her heart deafened her, and she could have sworn he was leaning towards her and his lips seemed really close now, and was time slowing down? "N-Naruto…"

"Nee-san, can I talk to yo– oh!"

"H-Hanabi!" Hinata exclaimed pulling away suddenly, her hand jerking forward and successfully knocking her bowl of ramen right onto Naruto's lap. "A-Ah, N-N-Naruto!"

"If you two are busy I can always come back later–"

"NO!" Hinata and Naruto shouted simultaneously, causing the young Hyuuga to smirk amusedly as she watched the two scramble to compose themselves and clean off Naruto's drenched, ramen smelling clothes.

"I-I'm so s-sorry Naruto, did I b-burn you?" Hinata stuttered, taking a deep breath to calm here rampant thoughts as she looked at Naruto sympathetically, relieved when he grinned in response.

"It's okay, Hinata. Really, I can just wash them," he said as he removed his jacket to reveal a simple black t-shirt with an orange spiral underneath. "What are you doing here anyway, Hanabi-brat?"

"I told you not to call me that," Hanabi blushed, stepping out onto the patio as Naruto stripped off his pants with no shame, sighing in relief when she saw the black shorts he wore underneath. Hinata looked like she might burst if she turned any redder, staring pointedly at the ground. "I came to talk to nee-san."

"M-Me? Why, is something wrong Hanabi, are you okay?" Naruto watched as Hinata approached her sister with concern, running her hand through Hanabi's hair and anxiously looking her over for any injuries. Naruto smiled at the sight.

"I'm fine, stop worrying so much," Hanabi pouted in annoyance as Hinata fawned over her younger sister, lightly slapping away her hands and walking over to take the seat next to Naruto, and much to his surprise smiled at him shyly. "How's it going, dobe."

"Baka Hanabi, you've been hanging around Sasuke-teme too much!" Naruto yelled, putting her in a playful headlock and shuffling her hair while she giggled, as Hinata took the seat next to her.

"I didn't know you two knew each other that well," Hinata smiled, tilting her head curiously at her sisters playful and downright odd behavior.

"We saw each other a lot while you were gone since he kept coming over asking about y-ow!"

"Heh heh, I had to deliver messages from the Hokage and so we saw each other a lot!" Naruto silenced her with a swift punch to the head and Hanabi smirked mischievously.

"What did you want to talk about, Imouto*?" Hinata asked with a confused expression that Naruto found extremely cute.

"I wanted to talk about the meeting," she responded, giving Naruto a look clearly saying _go away and stop flirting with my sister_ while Hinata looked at her in surprise.

"I'll just, uh, take these to the kitchen," he said awkwardly, shooting Hinata a quick smile (which she blushed at) before picking up the bowls and walking across the patio.

Of course he did _not_ take the bowls directly to the kitchen and instead, in true Naruto fashion, hurriedly closed the door behind him before pressing his ear against it to listen in on their conversation.

"Is it just me, or does Naruto seem a lot cuter all of a sudden?" he heard Hanabi ask casually and nearly dropped the bowls onto the floor.

"H-Hanabi!" Hinata gasped in surprise, clearly having forgotten that her sister was indeed affected by the potion. "Y-You wanted t-to talk about the m-meeting, not N-Naruto's looks."

"But still, he's pretty hot." Naruto shifted uncomfortably at the thought of Hinata's 12 year old sister thinking he was attractive. "You would have made a great head, you know." He heard Hinata sigh.

"It's already decided, Hanabi. Nothing you say will change that."

"For him though? I mean, I know you've been in love with him forever," Naruto frowned. "But he doesn't even know your feelings!"

"Because it's not right for them to continue persecuting him for something that was out of his control!" He was surprised at her loud tone. "It doesn't matter if he doesn't know of my feelings, I will always support him if someone speaks badly against him. After everything he's done for the village–"

"Yeah, yeah…Father is proud of you."

"W-What…? Why?"

"He says that he is proud of his eldest for standing for what she believes in."

It was quiet for a minute and he was sure Hinata was smiling.

"I still think it's dumb."

"Hanabi!"

"But it's not fair!" he heard Hanabi exclaim. "It was _always_ going to be you! Neji–"

"Neji would have been proud that I made my own decision instead of letting the Elders run my life…and he would have thought you'd make a great Head, just like I do." It was silent for a moment.

"I promise I won't let you get sealed," he heard Hanabi say shakily between sniffles and he knew she was crying. "I'll get rid of it, I swear."

Naruto froze._ They…there's no way they'd put the curse seal on her. They can't! _Deciding he didn't want to hear anymore he picked up the bowls once more he carried them into the kitchen with a furrowed brow, dropping them in the sink more roughly than he meant. His hands gripped the edge of the sink tightly, knuckles turning white. _I won't let them touch her._ He stood lost in thought for a few minutes until he heard a door open and footsteps coming down the hall.

"Bye, idiot." He turned just in time to see Hanabi hug him, and he started in surprise. He patted her back, unsure of what else to do before she pulled away with a small blush. He noticed the redness in her eyes and wet spots on her cheeks where he was sure she'd roughly wiped tears away and smiled sadly.

"Bye brat," he waved as Hinata led her to the door and, after a final hug, closed the door behind her. She lingered with her hand on the door while he leaned against the kitchen entryway.

"How'd it go?" he asked her and she turned to him with a small smile.

"Good," she said with a happy nod, heart fluttering nervously as they both noticed they were alone once again and the reality that yes, he was indeed about to kiss her before they were (rudely) interrupted, hit him like a ton of bricks.

_Kami, what is __wrong__ with me today?!_ His arm itched as he resisted the urge to slap it across his forehead.

"Hinata–" "Naruto–"

They both laughed awkwardly as they spoke at the same time, Naruto scratching the back of his head and Hinata rubbing her arm with a small blush on her face, both all too aware of the tension in the room

"I know you were listening," she looked at him shyly and his eyes widened for a fraction of a second. "H-How much did you hear?"

"Whaaat, I–I wasn't…listening," he laughed nervously, coughing when she gave him a sly, accusing look.

"You can't r-really spy on a Hyuuga," she said, her lips curving ever so slightly at the corners and he grinned sheepishly, very much liking her tease-like behavior. "You're chakra is v-very eye-catching."

"What does it look like?" he crossed his arms curiously and she flushed lightly.

"Kind of like, um…a firework. A f-firework bursting against the night sky..." He liked that a lot, he decided with a grin. "How much did you hear?"

"I didn't really hear much," he winked mischievously and she shook her head with a small smile on her face, peeking at him from the corner of her eye as she walked into the kitchen as his eyes following her wherever she went. He leaned his head back against the wall as she ran the water in the sink, rinsing off the dishes he'd tossed in.

"She's exactly what the clan needs. She will be a good Head," Hinata said proudly as she scrubbed at one of the bowls.

"You would have been, too." He saw her hesitate, hands tightening around the bowl slightly, and approached her slowly.

"…I-It probably wouldn't have worked out anyway," she said softly, wiping her cheek with the back of her hand. "I wouldn't h-have been able to do the things I love."

"Hinata…" he said softly as she methodically scrubbed at a dish.

"I couldn't g-go on missions with m-my team," she continued with a sniffle. "I'd be w-way too busy running the c-clan. I wouldn't have much t-time for training, so I c-couldn't advance as a kunoichi."

"You wouldn't like being stuck with those baka Elders anyway, they're too old and crabby," he told her and she laughed lightly, a couple tears streaming down her cheeks and she bit her lip to stop it from quivering.

"I think I would like teaching at the Academy. Or maybe working at the hospital," she almost whispered.

"I think that would be perfect for you…being around people who can appreciate how amazing you are," he told her and she let out a soft sob. He reached for her face, resting his hands softly against her cheeks and turning her to face him. He wiped her tears away with his thumbs while she stared up at him sadly.

"D-Do you t-think they'll really s-seal me?" she sobbed and he furrowed his brow and shook his head resolutely.

"I won't let them."

Then tenderly, sweetly, he leaned down and kissed her.

He pressed his lips against hers as though they were glass, cupping her face ever so softly as he felt her freeze beneath his grasp in shock. He thought he could feel the heat on her cheeks beneath his palms and almost pulled away until he felt her clutch the front of his shirt tightly. She pulled him towards her softly, desperately longing for the warm and comfort his touch brought her and he gladly obliged by tangling one hand in her hair and slinking an arm around her waist, pressing his body tightly against hers.

Tears rolled down her cheeks, whether they were from happiness or sadness she didn't know, but her heart fluttered wildly in her chest as he kissed her deeply. She lifted her arms and locked them behind his head, tangling her fingers in his hair and found that she didn't care whether her face was red or that she wasn't heiress anymore or even that she might get sealed. All that mattered was here, right now, wrapped in Naruto's arms. All that mattered was passionate kisses and silent promises and tangled bodies and finally a chance at happiness. Everything else in the world was insignificant in that moment, and she fell into a love with Naruto Uzumaki deeper than she ever knew could exist. And just maybe, with him by her side, everything would be okay.

At least, she _thought_ it could be until he suddenly pushed her away from him.

"I-I shouldn't …I mean, I didn't–" he shook his head, taking a step away from her with a conflicted look on his face. "I'm sorry, Hinata, I shouldn't have–"

"N-No, N-Naruto, it's o-okay," she sputtered out, cheeks brightly flushed, watching as emotions flickered across his eyes quickly. She reached her hand out for him, and pulled it back in surprise when he stepped out of her reach quickly.

"Kami, I'm an idiot," he groaned, slapping his hands to his forehead. "I shouldn't have done that, you love someone else and you're probably not even thinking straight 'cus you're upset, and I shouldn't even feel this way about you in the first place."

He clutched his hair, trying to calm the turmoil of emotions raging through his mind as she looked at him in shock, taking a hesitant step towards him.

_He shouldn't feel 'this' way? Maybe…could he…feel the same as I do?_

"N-No, Naruto, you d-don't understand! I-I told you before, b-but you don't r-remember that t-the one I love is y–"

"Don't," he interrupted her suddenly, shaking his head and holding his hands up to stop as he continued backing away from her. He didn't want to know, he _couldn't_ know, he decided as he felt the sudden desire to escape. "I need to go."

"G-Go?" she repeated with surprise. "N-No, you can't go out there! The longer t-the potion is in effect the harder they're going to find you, it's not safe," she tried to reason with him desperately, wondering how something so perfect could go so suddenly wrong while he shook his head and turned away from her, trying to drown out her pleas. "I just, I don't u-understand–"

"I'm sorry, Hina."

"Naruto n-no, p-please just let me talk to you–" she pleaded with him, reaching to embrace him only to be met with empty air, immediately feeling the coldness of a now empty home.

* * *

><p>"Kami, you're an idiot Naruto Uzumaki!" Naruto exclaimed to himself as he walked down the street angrily, kicking at random stones. "You just had to go and kiss her, even though she straight up told you she loves someone else."<p>

He slumped against a tree in defeat, closing his eyes tightly as wave after wave of confliction hit his mind. All he could think about was kissing her; how soft her lips were, the way her hands felt against his skin as they tangled in his hair, how tight her body was pressed against his,

How utterly perfect it felt.

He stamped out the thought guiltily. He knew Hinata was conflicted and upset and he kissed her anyway, completely taking advantage of her moment of weakness. He was only a friend to her, and he'd betrayed her trust by messing with her emotions.

So _maybe_ he thought their bodies fit together perfectly. So _maybe_ he thought she was amazing and perfect and beautiful. So _maybe_ he wanted to kiss her again.

None of it mattered, because she loves someone else.

_"Naruto n-no, p-please just let me talk to you–"_ he heard her cry out to him in his head. _As if I need another reason to feel bad_ he told himself, beating himself up for so rudely disregarding what she was trying to say to him. What was with him that he always ended up falling for the girls who already loved some other guy, he asked himself grumpily. _When is it my turn? When do I get someone to love me back instead of always ending up alone…_

He lifted the tips of his fingers to his lips, lost in thought. They felt cold and empty in her absence, and he was sure that they'd never feel the same ever again. So long as she wasn't his, he would long for her lips, her touch, the feel of her skin, the smell of her hair, her body against his.

But for a moment…he almost thought she _wanted_ him kissing her, he almost thought she liked it.

_Tch, get over yourself. That potion is probably just starting to affect her, that's all. She's just like all the other girls now…_

And with the resolute decision to stay as far away from Hinata Hyuuga as possible, to put his feelings aside forever for the sake of her happiness, to _never_ mess with her emotions again; he lifted his fingers into the Ram seal and appeared in his home.

* * *

><p>*Imouto - little sister<p> 


	5. Chapter 5

_Final part for this little series! ^_^ Thank you for reading, let me know what you think and I hope you like it!_

* * *

><p>Small feet pounded against the ground as a lone figure sprinted through the streets of Konoha, desperately searching for something that evaded her. Veins pulsated on her temples as her head scanned everywhere around her, searching for his bright chakra. She ducked into an alley quickly as a group of girls rounded the corner, speaking animatedly as they ran past.<p>

"We have to keep looking!"

"Yeah, he's here somewhere!"

_Kami, the longer I take to find him the more chance someone else will_. _They're getting more restless and dangerous._ Hinata continued her search, running street by street and looking for any slight trace of where Naruto may have gone. Her brow furrowed helplessly and her lips pressed into a thin line as her search began feeling more futile by the minute.

"Oh Naruto," she sighed as she deactivated her Byakugan, unable to find him in the east side of the village. She clutched the fabric at her chest trying to calm her aching heart, and shut her eyes tightly as she felt emotion overwhelm her.

_Why would he just run away from me like that, I just…I don't understand. Can't you see I'm in love with you, Naruto?_ She bit her lip as she felt it begin to quiver.

"Looking for someone," a voice spoke dully from behind her and she whipped around in surprise, stumbling back a few steps.

"S-Sakura! W-What are you d-doing out here so late?" Hinata stammered as her pink haired companion stared at her intently.

"That's actually what we were wondering about you, Hinata." Her gaze flickered quickly to her left and right sides where Ino and Tenten approached her at a menacingly slow pace. Hinata cleared her throat, taking a cautious step back from the group as she found herself being increasingly blocked off from the rest of the street. The shimmer of kunai in their clenched fists did not go beyond her notice and she attempted a weak smile at them.

"I was running an errand for my Father," she said calmly, standing a little straighter as she stared at Sakura while attempting to keep both Tenten and Ino in her peripherals.

_I could activate my Byakugan, but I don't want to initiate a fight…_ she thought as she discreetly surveyed her surroundings, putting on a calm façade.

"Oh Hinata," Tenten chuckled lightly to herself, shaking her head as though she disapproved of Hinata's response.

"We know you're looking for Naruto," Sakura smiled at her sweetly as she made a slow circle around Hinata while Tenten and Ino maintained their distance. "In fact, we're looking for him too."

"Maybe you can help us out a bit? Surely you know where he is?" Ino asked in a condescending tone, raising her eyebrows expectantly.

"I'm sorry, I don't know where he is. Maybe you can try checking at Ichiraku's? If you'll excuse me, I really should get going," Hinata smiled at them forcefully, taking a few determined steps past Sakura.

"Now, now, Hinata," Tenten spoke flatly and immediately Hinata twisted her body, leaning her body to the right as a kunai whizzed past her head. She linked her finger through the handle, swiftly redirecting it into the ground a couple feet away. She raised her gaze to her three friends with a furrowed brow.

_Good to know the potion doesn't seem to have affected their aim_, she thought bitterly as Sakura smiled wickedly.

"The thing is," Sakura stepped up to her, twirling a kunai around her finger almost playfully. "We _know _you know where he is. You're hiding him, aren't you?"

She threw her body backwards as Sakura lunged at her, her kunai missing Hinata's throat by a few mere inches. Falling back she plucked the kunai from the ground before pushing herself up into a back flip and landing in a crouching position.

"Sakura we're friends! I don't want to fight you; I don't know where he is!" Hinata pleaded with them desperately and they laughed coldly in response.

"Oh Hinata, it's not going to be much of a fight."

They lunged just as she activated her Byakugan.

* * *

><p>Naruto stood examining his kitchen with a critical eye. Opening and closing door after door, he didn't know what he was searching for, only that he couldn't find anything to his satisfaction. He scowled, slamming his refrigerator door shut as he strained to keep his thoughts off a certain kunoichi.<p>

Fate seemed to be working against him, because everything he looked at reminded him of her in some way or another.

He tried not to think about how the moon shining bright outside the window reminded him of the white in her eyes, or that the flowers Sakura had put on his windowsill to "brighten" his "boring" apartment reminded him of those she had planted in the ground outside her home. The sight of the kitchen alone reminded him of their sudden kiss in front of the sink and he even refused to touch the instant ramen, knowing it wouldn't taste as good as the one she'd hand made for him.

He stood dumbly by his door, trying to focus on all the reasons he shouldn't go running back to her with an abundance of apologies and finding it increasingly difficult to do. A shiver ran up his spine and with a groan he realized he'd left his clothes outside on her patio. _I can't go back over there. I can't see her. _He'd have to send Sasuke over to get it for him tomorrow, he sighed, turning away from the door to get a new jacket from his closet (and some pants while he was at it) when he heard a crunching beneath his foot.

"What the–" he lifted his foot in confusion and spotting the bundle of color and paper that lay underneath. Bending over he picked up the package gently and was surprised to see a bouquet of flowers. His heartbeat quickened as he momentarily panicked at the possibility of some crazed girl having snuck into his apartment until a wave of lavender hit his nose and filled him with a new barrage of grief and remorse.

_These were the flowers Hina was carrying when I knocked her down,_ he recalled with a frown before noticing the card placed neatly inside them. Ignoring his better judgment telling him to mind his own business and not get into things that only reminded him of her more, he pulled the small paper out gently and gazed down at her neat, curly writing.

_**Neji nii-san,**_

_**I thought that maybe as time went on, the pain of losing you might fade… But every day brings a new reminder that you are gone, and opens up the wound all over again.**_

_**It wasn't supposed to be you. I never meant for you to take the fall, and every day my mind is a constant battle between gratitude and grief. I swore to protect Naruto, and I was prepared to give my life for him. You knew that I love him, didn't you? I won't waste the chance you gave me with him, and I will be grateful for all my life- the life I owe you. **_

Flowers hit the floor forgotten as he read the card twice, and then again, and again. He gripped it tightly as though it might disappear in his grasp and leave him alone and empty once more, and his breath became short as distant memories flooded his mind.

_"I'm here because I want to be. This time…I'm going to save you, Naruto. I was always crying, and giving up before even trying. I made the wrong turns so many times…But you helped me find my way and take the correct path, Naruto. I always chased after you. I wanted to catch up to you. I wanted to walk beside you all the time. I wanted to be beside you, always. You changed me, Naruto! Your smile is what saved me! That's why I'm not afraid to die, if it means I can protect you! Because...I love you Naruto."_

_"Hinata-sama is…willing to die for you, Naruto…So keep in mind…that your life…is not…your own…anymore."_

_"Going back on your word…would truly kill your comrades! And it would result in us ceasing to be…a family…At least that's how I feel… That is why now is the time to stand with me, Naruto...Always going ahead and not going back on one's words; that is also my ninja way!"_

"Hinata…" he smiled, slapping his hand against his forehead and letting out a euphoric laugh. "I'm such an idiot! Hinata loves me! I'm that guy she was talking about!" He jumped around the room happily, clutching the paper to his chest with a wide grin before another realization hit him and he groaned. _Kami, I'm such an asshole! She almost died for me! __**Twice**__! And I forgot about and now she probably hates me for leaving her!_

"Naruto!" a voice yelled out as someone pounded on his door roughly and he cursed silently for forgetting that he was in hiding.

"Naruto, open up! We love you!" another voice yelled moments before the door burst open. He looked at the door anxiously as three women scrambled into his apartment, laying eyes on him and smiling wildly. He raised his hand just as they ran at him, forming the Ram seal in the nick of time and reappearing outside of Hinata's apartment. He sighed in relief as he took wide, determined strides towards her door.

"Hinata? Hinata, open up!" he called, pounding on the door loudly. He frowned when there was no response, pounding on the door once more and pressing his ear against the wood in attempt to hear any sounds inside. "Hinata, I need to talk to you!"

_She's not the type to just ignore someone, so why isn't she answering the door? _He paused in his knocking as the distant sound of metal clashing against metal hit his ears, and he looked over his shoulder with a confused expression. _Is someone…fighting?_

A pained cry filled the air and he felt as though someone had hit him in the gut, turning around with a distraught expression. _That– that was Hinata!_

"Hinata!" he yelled desperately, identifying the direction in which the scream came from and taking off in a quick sprint. The sounds of the clash became louder and louder as he made his way through the eastern side of the village, looking wildly through each street as he looked for a sight of her long black hair.

"Hinata!" he yelled just before rounding a corner and freezing as he saw a form hunched over slightly in pain as three figures stood before her, cruel smiles on their faces.

"N-Naruto, go hide!" Hinata called out with a strained voice as she held her hands out in her clan's signature stance. He noticed red leaking down her right leg and the way she bent it to avoid putting her weight on it.

"Look, there he is!" Ino said excitedly and ran forward directly towards him. He watched in shock as Hinata moved like a dancer, sliding her feet and twisting her body around to block Ino's path, chakra streaming out of her fingertips as she hit pressure points in her shoulders, thigh, and neck.

"Hey, no fair!" Ino winced as she fell to the ground immobilized and Naruto's jaw dropped at the sight while Hinata hobbled to regain her balance, careful not to place too much pressure on her leg.

_What the hell- why are they fighting?! What's going on?!_

"Now that wasn't so nice," Tenten pouted playfully, flinging a shuriken gracefully at Hinata. She moved to dodge but stumbled on her incapacitated leg, causing the shuriken to embed itself in her side. She cried out in pain and Naruto was at her side in instant, eyes full of worry as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

"I..I was l-looking for you," she smiled up at him weakly, beads of sweat dripping down her face as she tried to catch her breath and Naruto felt guilt pang at his heart.

"What the hell is going on here!?" he demanded heatedly, glancing between Sakura and Tenten who smiled at him happily.

"We were looking for you!" Tenten piped happily, twirling a kunai in each hand as she tilted her head at him.

"We couldn't just let her find you before us, so we had to take her out of the equation!" Sakura responded as though the answer was simple, bounding over to him happily and draping an arm around his neck. He noticed the other slumped at her side, also incapacitated by Hinata's jutsu.

"Stop this!" he pushed her off of him roughly and she gave him an offended expression, stepping back slowly to her spot next to Tenten. "She's your friend, what are you doing?!"

"T-They don't," Hinata panted, looking at him pleadingly as he returned her gaze with his own concerned one. "They don't realize…what they're doing. The potion…it's altering t-their minds, it's not their fault."

"How could you just push me away like that?" He watched as Sakura's expression shifted from hurt to anger. "I **love** you, and you would just push me away?! How _dare_ you!"

"N-Naruto," Hinata mumbled as she clutched onto his shirt for support. "M-My apartment."

He looked down at her in confusion for a brief moment before nodding in understanding. He took her hand as Sakura and Tenten leapt at them, disappearing as they brandished kunai. He opened his eyes hesitantly and sighed with relief at the sight her familiar living room, opening his mouth to cheer when he felt her body begin to fall.

"Hinata!" he exclaimed, catching her body before it could fall to the ground. Lifting her into his arms he carried her frail body into the kitchen and laid her on the table.

"T-Two scrolls…bottom shelf," she spoke quietly, grimacing as she lifted an arm to point at the book shelf in her living room.

"Hinata, you're hurt! I don't– what do I do?" Naruto asked her anxiously, eyes wide with concern as blood flowed down her leg and side.

"P-Put the scrolls o-on the front and back doors, quickly," she directed him, still pointing at the book shelf. He hurried over two it, unsure of what else to do, and grabbed the scrolls hastily. After seeing her nod of approval he unfurled one and pasted it against the front door before following suit with the back.

"What else, Hinata, tell me what to do," he asked desperately as blood trickled down her side, watching as she formed the Rat, Ox, Horse, and Boar seals in succession. The scroll glowed a bright shade of purple as the symbols on the paper extended over the door before fading into the wood.

"I-It's a Hyuuga sealing technique," she said in response to his confused gaze, wincing as she held onto his arm and pulled herself into a sitting position. "As long as the s-seal is activated…no one but a Hyuuga can enter. We use them…at the compound f-for emergency protection." He reached for her as she let out a small gasp when she pulled the shuriken free from her side.

"I'm so sorry, Hina. All of this is my fault, I should have listened to you, and I shouldn't have left–" he said with remorse, halting as she raised her hand and cupped his cheek reassuringly. His heart thumped loudly in his chest and heat rose to his cheeks as she looked at him with a sweet smile.

"P-Please listen to me next time," she said quietly and he chuckled lightly, feeling relief flood him. "I-I need to get to my bedroom…I have bandages on the-Oh!"

She flushed a bright red as Naruto scooped her into his arms suddenly, her head falling into the crook of his neck as he carried her wordlessly down the hallway and into her bedroom(which caused another sheet of red to blanket her face at the idea of him being in her bedroom. At night. _Alone_.) She sensed a chakra presence outside moments before hearing a frustrated scream and she didn't know whether to feel happy that her seal worked or guilty for making Sakura angry. She felt the presence fade slowly as he sat her down at the edge of the bed gently, wincing at the strain it put on her side. The shuriken didn't embed too deeply, she thought thankfully as she held her hand to her side with a good amount of pressure, though she would need to take it easy for at least a week.

She watched as he walked over to her dresser silently, picking up two rolls of bandages and a small container of ointment she had made earlier that week. She caught a quick glimpse of his face and noted he looked deeply lost in thought before entering her bathroom. She heard him scuffling around and the sink running for a moment before he entered the room. Sliding open her closet door he pulled out an orange t-shirt before turning and placing the items on the bed beside her. He avoided her gaze for which she was thankful, because she didn't think she had the courage to look into his eyes at that moment, and sat silently on the ground in front of her.

"T-Thank you," she said quietly. "U-Um, Naruto?"

"Yes?" he responded a bit eagerly, causing both of them to blush and he scratched his head goofily.

"C-Could you, u-um, turn a-around?" she managed to stammer out, glancing at the wound at her side and his mouth formed an 'O' shape in acknowledgement, a bright red flushing his cheeks as he silently chastised himself for his stupidity and turned to face the opposite wall.

It took all of his will to attempt to ignore the sound of fabric sliding off her skin as she removed her shirt and set it softly on the ground. She picked up one of the wet towels he had brought from the bathroom and it was very hard for him not to imagine her running it over her soft skin to clean the wound. He thought of ramen and lavender and training, ANYTHING to drown out his wandering thoughts before he felt her tap him lightly on the shoulder, signaling her okay for him to turn around.

She looked very good in orange, he decided as he made a plan to see her in it as often as possible. She looked down at the floor with a blush, not able to meet his eye and he saw her reaching for the other towel to clean off her leg when he decided that he would very much like to touch her skin at that moment. She froze suddenly as his hand slid underneath hers, taking the towel in his hand before she could pick it up.

She had to fight off a fainting spell as he took her leg softly in his hand, raising the towel to her skin and wiping off the blood that had dripped down her leg from the cut on her thigh. She thought she would die of cardiac arrest as she watched him slowly make his way up from her ankle, to her knee, then finally her thigh; cleaning the blood from her skin. She thought she saw a tint of red on his cheeks as he pushed the edge of her shorts up slightly to expose the top of her wound. She winced as he wiped the excess blood from the gash before placing the towel on the floor and opening the container of ointment.

"Ow," she whined childishly as he rubbed the cream over the wound and for a moment regretted it when he lifted his hand from her skin, immediately missing his warmth. She breathed with relief when he laughed lightly, finishing applying the ointment and taking the bandages in his hand.

"So Hinata…" he began with a serious expression, brows furrowed and eyes unreadable and she gulped.

"Y-Yes, Naruto?"

"This guy that you love…" She wondered how her heart didn't beat right through her chest as her eyes widened at his question. Try as she might, she couldn't fight the small blush that came to her cheeks.

"He smells like black coffee." It was more of a statement, but she nodded her head anyway.

"Y-Yes, he does."

"And spring rain…and ramen." He continued while slowly wrapping her thigh with the bandage, running his fingers over her skin every chance he got.

"Mhmm," she squeaked out in response.

"He also lives in the village," he continued, talking more to himself now than her while she sat there dumbly with red cheeks. "And he's someone our age that I know very well."

"N-Naruto…" she whispered, enjoying the feel of his fingertips brushing lightly against her skin as he wrapped her wound.

"And he's pretty funny, huh?" She smiled weakly.

"V-very much so."

"But he's also kind and determined…And doesn't let anyone bring him down and never goes back on his word…" He spoke slowly, finishing wrapping her bandages but allowing his fingers to graze across her skin lightly.

"He is, yes…" she said softly, watching his fingers dance across her skin, and she was sure that she could have died and been satisfied with her life at that moment.

"And you say he's helped the village out a lot…and you think he's one of the greatest shinobi of all time?"

"I do..."

"And you love him?" He raised his gaze to hers, sapphire eyes filled with a deep aching for something that she didn't know and she smiled sadly, tears prickling her eyes.

"Since I was a little girl," she repeated in a whisper, tears falling down her cheeks as she felt a hopeless sort of longing. She bit her lip as lifted his arm, leaning her head into his palm as he wiped a tear away.

"…Do you love _me_, Hina?" he asked her, his voice laced with so much fear, with so much hesitancy, that it was all she could do to nod her head as a small sob escaped her lips, raising her hand and grazing his cheek.

And so he kissed her again.

And there was no hesitancy, no fear, no longing. It was a kiss that held passion, and love, and a final satisfaction at gaining something both had desired for such a long time.

And he wouldn't push her away again that night, or the next day, or any day that they spent together for the rest of their lives. And he would whisper that he loved her over and over again as he held her close to him, placing both soft and deep kisses on her lips and her cheeks and her eyes and her nose. And she would cry tears of happiness, and make sure he never felt alone again. And she would care for him like no one else had, and would encourage him openly for all to see, and finally walk by his side.

And as they drifted off to sleep, smiles on their lips as he held her body close to his, she thanked Neji.

* * *

><p>"Oh, come on Granny! I said I was sorry!"<p>

"Have some respect you little brat, it's Lady Hokage to you!"

"I mean, you only tried to kiss me once-"

"Naruto!"

"Sakura was the one who actually landed one on me, OW!"

"Shut up!" Sakura flushed pink and chucked a stapler directly at his head, holding a fist up at him threateningly while he whined. "You're lucky you didn't get Hinata killed! We could have killed her, do you realize how hard it must have been for her to fight us without hurting us while we were trying to kill her!?"

"I-It's okay," Hinata interjected as Naruto slumped dejectedly. "M-My injuries were very small."

"Can I just say, again, we're soooo sorry for that," Ino offered an apologetic smile while Tenten scratched her cheek guiltily and Sakura nodded her head in agreement, shooting Hinata a remorseful glance.

"We're very lucky that no one else was hurt, other than a few peoples' pride," Tsunade muttered and Naruto scuffled his feet in shame. "Fortunately for you, Hinata managed to convince me that this provides a good research opportunity and will be providing me a full report of her observations tomorrow morning."

Hinata blushed furiously as he openly hugged her with gratitude, not noticing the smirks on everyone's faces.

"My decision still stands though; D-rank missions for a month for not following orders! You're all dismissed."

The group bowed respectively, minus Naruto who merely waved with a cheeky grin, and turned to leave the room.

"By the way, it's about time you two got together!" Tsunade called out, chuckling as she heard Hinata squeak with embarrassment.

"So Hina," Naruto took her hand in his, much to the pleasure of Sakura, Ino, and Tenten who trailed behind at a considerable distance. "Since I'm stuck with grunt work for the next month, you know what it means right?"

"W-What does it m-mean, N-Naruto?" she asked, using all her will power to keep herself standing upright as her brain screamed at her that holy crap he was holding her hand and _oh Kami_, _he actually loves you._

"That I'll be spending the next month with you here in the village," he grinned down at her and her heart fluttered at she smiled back at him.

And so the two headed to Ichiraku Ramen with three nosey girls trailing behind them the entire way (exchanging gossip and plans to tell _everyone_ about how blockhead Naruto was finally dating their sweet, shy Hinata),

"N-Naruto, what is this picture hanging out of your pocket?"

"A-Ah, i-it's nothing!"

He would talk nonstop the entire way, and she would listen attentively and hang on to every word. And many would stare in happy surprise, and many (women) would look away from him in shame as they were reminded of their actions the previous day. But lost in their own little world, they wouldn't notice anything but each other. And it would be the first of many dates to the ramen stand, and another best day in each of their lives.

* * *

><p><em>Thanks again for reading lovelies ! <em>3


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